After 29 days of strike action, Brazil's port agricultural inspectors have resumed normal working duties.
The strike has resulted in disruption to many key Brazilian ports, especially those specializing in reefer cargo.
The union representing the inspectors, ANFFA, said at the beginning of the strike that the inspectors were involved in a pay dispute with the country's department of agriculture.
Latest reports have quoted ANFFA saying that both parties have resolved the dispute, with the inspectors and the Ministry of Agriculture and Foodstuffs agreeing on a pay rise.
Santos, the biggest South American port, handling 2.3 million TEUs last year, was reported to be among the Brazilian ports thrown into chaos as cargo, especially reefer containers, were stacked up in port terminals awaiting inspection.
Previous reports said that the port of Rio Grande already had 1.5 million metric tonnes of produce, mostly beef and tobacco, on the quayside awaiting export after only one week of the strike.
Early on during the strike action, there was also said to be ''serious problems” at the port of Itajai.
“It is usually after day three or four that problems start. Now we are into day six, it is hurting badly, and Santos is also beginning to be saturated with cargo waiting to be cleared. We can't take much more of this,” one source commented at the time.
The president of the San Paulo and Santos Ship-agents Association, Jose Eduardo Lopes, had earlier this week said that container terminals were in a “chaotic state” and running at more than 90% capacity.
“We are just relieved that the whole dispute seems to have finally come to an end,” he said. “It has been costly to shippers, terminal operators and carriers facing delays in the ports.”
With regards to the considerable backlog of containers and cargo, reports said the returning inspectors have promised to work overtime to clear all outstanding volumes by this weekend.
The strike has resulted in disruption to many key Brazilian ports, especially those specializing in reefer cargo.
The union representing the inspectors, ANFFA, said at the beginning of the strike that the inspectors were involved in a pay dispute with the country's department of agriculture.
Latest reports have quoted ANFFA saying that both parties have resolved the dispute, with the inspectors and the Ministry of Agriculture and Foodstuffs agreeing on a pay rise.
Santos, the biggest South American port, handling 2.3 million TEUs last year, was reported to be among the Brazilian ports thrown into chaos as cargo, especially reefer containers, were stacked up in port terminals awaiting inspection.
Previous reports said that the port of Rio Grande already had 1.5 million metric tonnes of produce, mostly beef and tobacco, on the quayside awaiting export after only one week of the strike.
Early on during the strike action, there was also said to be ''serious problems” at the port of Itajai.
“It is usually after day three or four that problems start. Now we are into day six, it is hurting badly, and Santos is also beginning to be saturated with cargo waiting to be cleared. We can't take much more of this,” one source commented at the time.
The president of the San Paulo and Santos Ship-agents Association, Jose Eduardo Lopes, had earlier this week said that container terminals were in a “chaotic state” and running at more than 90% capacity.
“We are just relieved that the whole dispute seems to have finally come to an end,” he said. “It has been costly to shippers, terminal operators and carriers facing delays in the ports.”
With regards to the considerable backlog of containers and cargo, reports said the returning inspectors have promised to work overtime to clear all outstanding volumes by this weekend.