Brazil investment 2
Having cemented its presence at the southeast Brazilian port complex of Itajai – via the Portonave box facility – Mediterrenean Shipping Company (MSC) is now ready to build a base at Pecem, in the northeast of the country, according to the Pecem port authority.
And if MSC gets its way container throughput will mushroom at Pecem from today’s 150,000 teu per annum, up to more than 1m teu within the next two to three years.
And Erasmo Pitombeira, the president of Cearaportos, said that the port authority plans to expand and improve the port of Pecem – including new piers with a depth alongside of more than 16 metres – has attracted interest from a number of major carriers, including MSC and Maersk Line, which already operates the CTO box terminal at the port.
Mr Pitombeira added: “The idea is that Pecem will soon handle post panamax vessels. We have had a number of inquries from interested parties including MSC.”
For carriers, one of the advantages of Pecem is it is the closest Brazilian port to the US (just six days sailing) and to Europe (just seven days).
MSC recently switched several of its key ECSA services to Portonave (in which it is understood to have a financial interest), and is now seeking to expand its Brazilian interestes in other strategic areas of the South American country.
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