ASIA, mostly China and Singapore, has driven record of pork exports through Wilson Sons' Rio Grande Container Terminal, in Rio Grande do Sul in Southern Brazil up 57 per cent year on year and year to date, reports the UK's Seatrade Maritime News.

This year, the terminal's pork exports totalled 7,199 TEU compared to 4,578 TEU from January to July 2022, and this year, pork exports totalled 102,051 tonnes versus 64,751 tonnes for the same period of 2022.

The recovery of market share, as local exporters have chosen to ship larger volumes through the Rio Grande terminal rather than through Santa Catarina as compared to last year, influenced the registered increase.

The start of operations of the Maersk's NeoSamba service as larger ships, and a direct route from Northern Europe to Rio Grande with better transit times and more efficient operations, contributed to the results.

The terminal, the most automated one in Brazil, plays a relevant role in the logistics of companies based in Rio Grande do Sul, said Rio Grande terminal manager Paulo Bertinetti, adding that he "offers a safe and efficient alternative for handling different types of cargo".