On May 20, a 12-hour strike is scheduled to take place at 32 major ports across Brazil—including the Port of Santos, the busiest in Latin America.

The strike was called by a joint statement from the dockworkers’ union and the temporary workers’ union, demanding guarantees to protect the exclusive right of port workers to be hired directly. As negotiations between the government, employers, and the unions have not yet reached an agreement, the strike is proceeding as planned.

In fact, the ports are already severely congested: the average wait time for a berth at the Port of Santos is nearly five days, and in some areas, it can be as long as 10 days or more. Ships are lined up in long queues, cargo is piled high, and efficiency is already low.

With this strike, loading and unloading operations have come to a standstill and customs clearance has stalled, which will result in even longer waiting times for ships at port.

We recommend that relevant exporters and logistics providers closely monitor union developments, discuss alternative plans in advance, and do their best to keep the impact within manageable limits.