Brazil, China to launch maritime trade route
On Saturday (Aug. 30), Brazil and China will launch a trade route connecting the port of Santana, in Amapá, to the port of Zhuhai, in China. According to the Minister of Integration and Regional Development, Waldez Góes, the new route will reduce both costs and travel time for Brazilian products destined for the Asian market.
“I have good news: this Saturday, the first ship on the Zhuhai–Santana route will arrive in Amapá. Now, the Northern Arc has another alternative maritime route,” Góes announced on Thursday (28), during the program Good Morning, Minister, produced by Empresa Brasil de Comunicação (EBC).
The new route will connect the Port of Santana das Docas to the so-called Greater Bay Area (comprising Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macau), which is home to several major ports, including Gaolan in Zhuhai - one of the region’s main terminals and a strategic point for strengthening trade between Brazil and China.
According to the minister, the route was considered by both governments as having potential for the transport of bioproducts from the Amazon and Brazil’s Central-West region.
“The advantages are enormous. Compared to the Port of Santos, shipping products from the Central-West region via Santana or the Arco Norte to Europe reduces the cost of soybeans by $14 per ton, for example. For shipments to China, the savings are $7.80 per ton - not to mention the reduced travel time,” he added.
According to Góes, this advantage will significantly increase the workload, profits, and returns for producers - whether from the Amazon or Brazil’s Central-West region - while also helping to improve logistics across the country.
“From now on, it depends on our capacity - the Amazon region’s ability to organize and supply products of interest to China,” he added.
The minister emphasized that cooperation between Brazil and China has grown significantly, further enhancing this Route - especially for products from the Amazon bioeconomy, a region that, according to him, holds great potential for economic growth.
“It will take time, but the best strategy for the Amazon is industrialization. It’s about adding value - processing Amazonian products to create value, generate jobs, and increase income. This applies to açaí, cocoa, coffee, Brazil nuts, timber, fish, fish farming, and other sectors, such as pharmaceuticals. We have great potential in pharmaceuticals because the Amazon currently supplies only raw materials,” he argued.
China, with a market of 1.4 billion people, is one of Brazil’s main trading partners.
“To give you an idea, coffee - which already has a strong presence in China - has a per capita consumption of one cup per month. Imagine if we doubled that to two cups per month. This applies to coffee, soybeans, and agriculture in general. They are very interested in honey, açaí, chocolate, and cocoa,” he explained, emphasizing that biodiversity products are widely accepted and have great potential in China.
