South America

The logistics of one of the main export hubs in the world for soybeans are being overwhelmed by a record harvest. Backlogs for soybeans being moved from the world's biggest producer and exporter highlight ongoing logistical challenges in Brazil's agriculture supply chain. A large portion of Brazil's soybean harvest is headed for China. It's a shame here in Miritituba," said trucker Jeferson Borges da Silva who, after driving 1,200km from Mato Grosso waited for a?30 km (20 mile) queue. "We have been waiting in line for 2 days, this was the worst year yet." Miritituba is a crucial transshipment point...

European traders reported that the 'Major Feedmill Group' (MFG) of South Korea purchased approximately 135,000 metric tonnes of 'animal feed corn on Friday in an international tender that sought up to?to?210,000 tons. Two consignments were purchased at the end of the tender. A third consignment, also requested in the tender, was not believed to be purchased after negotiations. It was possible to source corn from South America, the United States or Africa. A 67,000-ton consignment was purchased for an estimated cost and freight of $251.23 per ton plus a $1.50 surcharge per ton to cover additional port unloading. It was...

Four sources and shipping data indicate that buyers and trading houses of Venezuelan oil chartered the very large crude carriers to export the South American nation?since the Caracas-Washington deal was signed. This move will boost deliveries to India. The use of larger vessels that can hold up to 2,000,000 barrels each is expected to reduce transportation costs for buyers and traders, relieve a shortage in smaller tankers, and speed up deliveries beginning next month. This could help to drain the millions barrels stored at Venezuela faster. The Nissos Kea and Nissos Kythnos, as well as the Arzanah, are at least...

A government official announced on Monday that Brazil had decided to revoke the 'decree that would have increased Amazonian waterways as part of the federal privatization program. This decision follows the occupation by Indigenous protesters of the Cargill facility on the Tapajos River. Protesters claim that the August decree will open up Amazonian river systems like the 'Tapajos' to dredging. This could have a negative impact on water quality and fishing, both of which are vital to their survival. The rivers are used to transport grains such as corn and soy before they reach the export markets. The weekend saw...

Cargill, a U.S. grain dealer, said in a Saturday statement that indigenous protesters had occupied the Santarem 'river port terminal' in Brazil's Para State. They "completely" disrupted operations on the site. The firm stated that protesters forced employees of?Cargill? to evacuate the private terminal Friday evening. It added that it was in contact with the local authorities to ensure an eviction would be conducted "in a safe and orderly manner." According to data from the port sector, Cargill shipped over 5.5 million metric tons of corn and soybeans through Santarem in 2017. Santarem's total grain volume was 70% exported volume....

According to traffic data provided by the oilseed lobby Abiove, trucks loaded with soybeans had to wait in a line of 39 kilometers to deliver their?products to grain terminals located at the Amazonian port of?Miritituba?in Para state. Terminals are operated by Cargill, Bunge and Brazilian Amaggi, as well as the logistics company Hidrovias do Brasil. The Miritituba River Terminals are usually busy at this time of year, when they receive soybeans and oilseeds from the Center-West. They then load them onto?barges to be shipped via the ports of the North of Brazil. Abiove estimates that Miritituba, on the 'Tapajos River',...

Authorities said that at least four people were killed in the explosion of a truck transporting liquid gas, which flipped over and exploded on Thursday. A police chief said at a news conference that 17 more people were injured. The driver of the truck lost control and crashed, he explained. The authorities said that the truck driver was one of the victims. The prosecutor’s office is investigating the circumstances of the accident. The truck belonged to a local gas company Gasco. Gasco didn't immediately respond to a request from for a?comment. Social media videos showed the flames descending at the...

The lower house of Argentina's?"Congress" is expected to vote on Thursday, "on a controversial labor reform supported by libertarian president?Javier Milei", as?unions are staging a nationwide strike which has brought some parts of the country a standstill. CGT, Argentina's largest umbrella organization, says that the new reforms threaten long-standing worker rights including the right of strike. In response, the union has called a 24-hour strike involving workers in the public sector, banks, and transport. The strikers have joined the maritime workers' union, which started a 48-hour walking out on Wednesday. They are targeting the cargo vessel operations, mainly in the...

According to a decision signed by federal Judge Shamyl Cipriano, a Brazilian court restored late on Wednesday an order allowing?access?to the Santarem River port terminal operated by U.S. grain traders Cargill. The Brazilian court reinstated late on?Wednesday an order?to free up?access?to the Santarem river port terminal where U.S. grain trader Cargill operates, according to a ruling signed by federal judge Shamyl Cipriano and seen by. A federal court issued an order last Friday requiring the government to take measures within 48 hours to remove protesters and restore access to Cargill’s facility in Para. Federal prosecutors said they appealed this decision....

Four sources told us that Venezuela's PDVSA, the state-owned oil company, has refused to sell to companies who do not have individual U.S. licences. This is limiting the exports of oil and stopping the country from draining its brimming tanks more quickly. Washington granted a "general license" that allows oil exports in general, as well as individual licenses for Trafigura and Vitol to export oil valued at billions of dollars. The permits came after a limited U.S. licence granted to Chevron in 2013 to export Venezuelan oil to the U.S. Venezuela relies on the oil export revenues and needs them...

According to a statement released late last week, a branch of Brazil's Federal Public Prosecutor's Office has condemned the use of force in removing Indigenous protesters near a Cargill port terminal located in the Amazon. Since January 22, indigenous groups have protested at the terminal gate of the Santarem company against a project that would dredge Tapajos River, where traders depend on barges to transport grains to northern ports for export. The prosecutors demanded the immediate cancellation of an order by the State Commission for Public Safety in Ports authorizing the deployment police forces to the site. The prosecutors in...

Estonia's Tax and Customs Board announced late Tuesday that it had detained in Estonian internal waters a container vessel sailing under the Bahamian Flag. The ship may have been involved in smuggling from Ecuador. The authority stated that there was "reason to believe" the vessel could have been used as a smuggling vessel. "The special police unit K-Commando boarded a ship. After?which?the vessel?was detained?under national supervision to carry out a Customs Inspection". They added that the ship, Baltic Spirit, is not a part of the Russian shadow fleet and it is also not subject to sanctions imposed by the European...

Havana residents are repairing threadbare tires on their old bikes and in some cases learning to ride as fuel becomes scarcer in Cuba due to the U.S. taking over Venezuela's oil. Venezuela, which was a "key" ally of Cuba, was the island's main source of fuel and crude oil for over a quarter of a century. That is, until January, when the U.S. captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Cubans are now in a survival mode due to the drying up of this supply. They have to deal with longer blackouts, rising prices for transportation and food as well as?fuel -...

Tuesday, oil prices fell 1% after Iran said it would take all 'necessary measures' to reach a deal with the United States. This came following weeks of the U.S. increasing its military presence in the Middle East. Brent futures closed at $70.77 a barrel, down 72c or 1%. WTI futures fell 1% as well, closing at $65.63, a decrease of 68 cents. Oman's Badr Albusaidi, the Foreign Minister of Oman, said that the U.S. and Iran will be holding a third round of talks in Geneva on Thursday. Iran is the third largest crude producer within the Organization of Petroleum...

Sources and data indicate that trading houses and buyers of Venezuelan oil chartered the very large crude carriers to export from the South American nation since the Caracas-Washington deal was signed. This is expected to increase shipments to India and speed up the process starting in March. Trading firms Vitol & Trafigura export Venezuelan crude oil & fuels since January. This is part of the $2 billion deal that the U.S. & Venezuela signed after the capture of President Nicolas Maduro. According to data on vessel movements, the 'lion's share' of exports has been made by Panamax and Aframax tanks...

Authorities?said that the Dominican Republic experienced a nationwide 'blackout' on Monday due to a?major failure? in its national power grid. This is the second occurrence of a?outage? within three months. As crews repaired the power outage, traffic was halted and public transport services were disrupted. Some businesses had to close as they worked to restore electricity. Joel Santos of the Ministry of Energy and Mines in Colombia, who spoke at a press briefing, stated that a failure occurred in the grid around 10:50 am. Santos stated that the power outage occurred due to a faulty transmission line switch which tripped...

A rig that drills wells in shallow water completed its long journey from China to Venezuela’s oil-producing Lake Maracaibo region. Residents and workers were excited to see the passage of a big old rig called Alula, which passed just inches below a bridge that connects Maracaibo with the oilfields on the eastern shore of Lake Maracaibo. This was due to U.S. sanctioned. The rig struck an oil pipeline while it was passing through the lake, and also over the metallic spaghetti that was 20,000 kilometers worth of pipes below the water. The oil leaked out for several months before repairs...

Asuncion, the capital of Paraguay, began receiving power on Wednesday after some transmission lines were taken offline. This knocked out power in much of South America. The state power company ANDE said that one of the transmissions lines was re-started, and it is normalizing the?power distribution in Asuncion and its surrounding metropolitan area. ANDE released a statement saying that "technicians are continuing to do the necessary work to restore service across the country." The outage affected the northern and eastern regions of the country. Drivers in the capital were thrown into chaos when traffic lights went dark. The blackout occurred...

Annand Jagesar, the managing director at Suriname’s Staatsolie state-run company, stated that a pipeline connecting the two neighbors Guyana and Suriname would be of 'high interest,' to increase the?availability?of fuel. The two countries have developed their offshore oil and gas industries separately. An Exxon Mobil consortium is 'rapidly increasing crude output' and aims to begin non-associated gas production in Guyana within the next few years. A consortium led by TotalEnergies in Suriname is expected to "begin oil production" through the $12 billion Gran Morgu Project, while another natural gas project nears a final investment decision. Since years, Guyana and Suriname...

Police said that at least 10 people died and several others were seriously injured when a bus fell 'about 100 metres (330 feet) into a ravine in Bolivia's mountains on Thursday night. Residents and authorities in the Camacho Province, north of La Paz's capital, worked long hours to rescue those trapped by the crash. Images shown on local television and social media showed the extent of the tragedy, including the bodies of victims, as well as injured passengers, some of whom were minors. Local media reported that emergency teams evacuated survivors from the crash and transported them to hospitals. Local...

Traders and LSEG data show that Russia has increased its naphtha exports to STS and port storage hubs, as key buyers reduce imports due to?Western sanction pressure. Since the European Union's full embargo against Russian oil products went into effect in February 2023?,?most? of?Russian naphtha is being directed towards the Middle East and Asia. India and Taiwan were among the largest Asian buyers. However, recent U.S. sanction have caused both countries to withdraw. According to LSEG, Taiwan hasn't imported Russian naphtha from the beginning of 2026. This compares with 2.7?million tonnes in 2025. Shipping data showed that traders were avoiding...

Analysts say Argentina could surpass the record energy trade surplus of last year in 2026. This is due to infrastructure improvements that have improved the country's ability to ship oil from Vaca Muerta shale formation. Analysts said that the 2026 energy surplus could be between $8.5 billion and $10 billion. This would be largely dependent on oil production. Argentina's government is aiming to boost energy exports while reducing its dependence on imported natural gas. It also wants to strengthen the central bank reserves, increase foreign currency inflows, and boost investor confidence. Argentina's government posted a record $7.8 billion energy surplus...

Data from LSEG and market sources showed that Russia's seaborne gasoil and diesel exports increased 19% over the previous month. This was due to a seasonal decline in domestic demand, which prompted traders to ship out more. The data shows that exports were 4,6% lower than in January 2025, as drone attacks, maintenance and other factors affected the output. Sources said that the shipment of ultra-low sulphur diesel through the Baltic port Primorsk - Russia's largest port for?diesel imports - jumped 32.4% in one month, to a new record of 2.256 million tonnes, supported by an increase in production. The...

A lawyer for the wife of the captain said that the captain was taken from British territorial waters to a U.S. Coast Guard vessel. U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Military Special Forces, with a judicial seize warrant, captured the Russian flagged Marinera on the Atlantic Ocean near Iceland, after pursuing the vessel for over two weeks, as part of Washington’s efforts to stop Venezuelan oil exports. The tanker was then moved to an area?off of the coasts of Scotland. Aamer Anwar is the lawyer for Natia Dzadzama's husband, Avtandil Kalandadze. COURT ORDER REVOKED Anwar stated that on Monday, the Scottish...