Calls are growing for authorities to dredge Latin America’s largest port. The Financial Times is reporting how containerships are being forced to shed 160 containers per 20 cm of lost draft at the Brazilian port of Santos as silting grows.
In July tugboats refused to pilot ships into the port with a draft greater than 12.3 m. The Docks Company of the State of São Paulo (Codesp) undertook emergency dredging and raised the limit to about 13 m, but it was still considerably below the original level of 14.3 m.
Silting is an issue at many other Brazilian ports too. Earlier this year the port of Itajaí and Navegantes in the southern state of Santa Catarina was forced to close due to silting.
