May 27, 2020

Soybean loading continues at Brazil port after quarantine

After a ship was ordered into isolation due to a crew member testing positive for COVID-19, soybean loading operations were set to resume on Tuesday at Brazil's Paranaguá port, authorities said, Reuters reported.

Loading at the berth was halted after the positive test, the Williams shipping agency said, adding that it was the first confirmed case of the disease at the port since the COVID-19 outbreak began.

All other berths at the port continued to operate as normal.

Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency (ANVISA) later authorised the ship to leave berth 214 after all other crew members were tested, the port said in a statement.

The vessel was ordered to anchor in a quarantine area and remain there until further notice, it said.

Brazil is the top supplier of soybeans to China, the world's biggest buyer of the beans.