Finished vehicle traffic at the port is increasing at such a rate that the port’s management committee is to issue a tender for a second specialist terminal to handle volumes. Port president, Frederico Amâncio, suggested that this will be ready in January 2013. It is expected that Tegma will be contracted by the government to operate the new facility.
The existing terminal can handle 1,200 vehicles, broadly similar to the capacity being planned for the second terminal, which will also cover an area of approximately 4 hectares.
In general, vehicles are held at the port for up to seven days before being shipped onward and replaced by new consignments every fortnight.
In 2010, GM opened a specialist centre in Suape specifically to import the new Agile model from Argentina and the Captiva from Mexico. For its part, Volkswagen only commenced operations in July this year, importing the CrossFox, Amarok and SpaceFox models from Argentina, with the Jetta and Jetta Variant models beginning to arrive from Mexico as of September this year.
Amâncio said that the arrival of Volkswagen using the same shipping line as General Motors was a good example of the sort of synergies from which carmakers can benefit.
Shineray consolidates position at Recife
At the nearby port of Recife, meanwhile, the Chinese manufacturer Shineray recently offloaded 370 finished vehicles imported from China, the third batch of vehicles brought into Brazil via what is now the manufacturer's regional distribution hub, in which around $5.5m has been invested. The latest consignment included two new models – the double cab mini-truck and the mini-container truck.
Shineray is now planning monthly deliveries of new vehicles and has expanded its storage area at the port, where inbound vehicles are prepared for sale in the Brazilian market, from 4000m2 to 7000m2. The company also said it expects to have a pre-delivery inspection facility open there by the end of November.
