Container freight from Brazil to Mediterranean-Middle East route jumps 67% in April from March levels as conflict tied to Iran disrupts capacity and raises costs
Brazil’s ocean export freight rates surged in April amid uncertainty over the future of the war involving Iran. Data from Solve Shipping show that prices for container exports from Brazil to the Mediterranean, a route that serves the Middle East, were up 67% in April from March levels.
Other export routes also posted sharp increases. Freight rates to the U.S. East Coast and Northern Europe were up 80% from March, while rates to the Gulf of Mexico jumped 89% in the period, according to the consultancy’s data.
The Brazilian Association of Meat Exporting Industries, or Abiec, said freight for refrigerated containers on the Strait of Hormuz route has more than doubled since the war began, rising to $7,000 from $3,000. The Middle East accounts for 15% of the sector’s exports.
Even so, prices remain below the average levels seen in April last year, when U.S. President Donald Trump announced tariffs on several countries on what became known as “Liberation Day,” triggering a global rush in trade before the measures took effect. On the Brazil-to-Mediterranean-Middle East route, current rates are about 17% below the level seen in the same period of 2025.
Freight rates are therefore not at a peak. Even so, the logistics sector is concerned about the impact if the conflict drags on.
Costs rise across routes
Leandro Barreto, a partner at Solve Shipping, said that even though prices are still below where they were a year ago, the current backdrop for exporters is very challenging.
“All routes are becoming more expensive because of a combination of factors. One is fuel, since oil prices have doubled. On top of that, 10% of the world’s container fleet is being affected by the Middle East route. That means 10% of loaded containers are ending up at intermediary ports. That reduces market capacity. These alternative routes are longer, so costs also rise.”
He added that ports serving as alternatives to the Strait of Hormuz are also facing congestion, including in Pakistan, Oman, Singapore and Saudi Arabia.
One route that has been used is to ship cargo to the port of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia and then move it overland across the country to the Persian Gulf coast, an option that is not only more expensive but also slower.
In practice, especially for exporters to the Middle East, costs are far worse than they were a year ago, said Gabriel Carvalho, CEO of Scan Global Logistics in Latin America. He noted that beyond regular freight charges, shipping companies are also imposing extra war-risk fees. Those charges can reach as much as $3,000 per 40-foot container, or $4,000 for refrigerated containers.
Carvalho said the only factor softening the crisis is that freight rates were relatively low at the start of the year, so even after the recent increase they have not yet returned to peak levels. Still, he said the situation is worrying.
Impact on meat, commodity exporters
“The hardest-hit exporters are meat and commodity producers. These are perishable, refrigerated goods that cannot sit in storage for long. Large exporters have more shipping capacity because their cargo has higher added value, but those selling lower-value commodities, such as wood, have been suffering,” he said.
Barreto said the fact that freight rates are still below 2025 levels reflects the volatility global shipping has experienced since the pandemic. In April last year, he noted, the logistics sector was going through a particularly dramatic period.
In addition to the U.S. tariffs announced that month, the shipping market was still dealing more severely with the effects of the Red Sea shutdown, which began in late 2023 after attacks by Houthi rebel groups from Yemen. Over the past year, however, shipping companies expanded their vessel fleets, increasing capacity, offsetting part of the disruption and easing freight costs.
Beyond rising prices, Carvalho said there is concern that ships could start running short of fuel. There is also growing worry about a shortage of containers, a scenario specialists see as likely if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed for an extended period.
On the import side, the impact in Brazil has so far been more limited. On the Asia route, the country’s main import corridor, freight rates rose 4.65% in April from March, and importers have not yet faced major problems. Even so, Barreto said risks remain.
“Many see a slowdown in the domestic economy, which would help explain why import freight rates have been more contained.
“Another explanation is that companies held back orders because of the threat of a truckers’ strike and the war, so they decided to burn through inventories. But inventories are being depleted and the war has not ended. That’s why we are expecting a freight-rate reaction in the second half of April,” he said.
*By Taís Hirata — São Paulo
Source: Valor International
https://valorinternational.globo.com/