British Expats - Brazilian Port Strike

We have been advised that notice has been given for a Brazilian strike to occur at ALL Brazil ports on Tuesday, March 19, 2013. This will create additional congestion and slow both imports and exports.

If your shipment is due to arrive in or leave Brazil during this time your moving company should already have notified you of any problems, but if you have any concerns about how it might affect you just get in touch with your move manager.

The following information was provided from Breakbulk -- A publication of the Journal of Commerce and gives further detail on the issues:

"Brazilian dock workers have scheduled a 24-hour nationwide strike on March 19, protesting the government’s plan to privatize port terminals throughout the country. Union leaders said little progress has been made in negotiations between unions and government officials.

This is not the first strike over the privatization issue. On Feb. 22, dock workers staged a strike, which stopped loading and unloading on more than half of the ships berthed in Santos, Brazil’s busiest port. Afterwards, unions agreed to refrain from further walkouts during a negotiation period that is due to end March 15. “They’ve decided on another 24-hour warning strike in hopes it will help the negotiations, if it doesn’t, the next strike would be indefinite,” Paulo Pereira da Silva, president of the Brazil’s Forca Sindical, a labor organization that represents a number of unions, told reporters.

While Brazil’s bulk agricultural shipments are at highest risk, all vessels calling Brazilian ports could be delayed in the event of additional strikes."