By Brazil Stock Guide – Brazilian logistics operator VLI achieved a record monthly volume of fertilizer imports in September, unloading 285,000 metric tons at its Luiz Antonio Mesquita Port Terminal (Tiplam) in Santos, São Paulo state. The shipments came from key markets including North America, the Middle East, and China, supplying Brazil’s main agricultural regions of Goiás, Minas Gerais and Mato Grosso, according to Agência Estado/Broadcast.
VLI, which operates railways, ports and terminals, handles about 90% of the country’s railway transportation of sulfur, phosphate rock and ammonia. The Tiplam terminal serves as a critical hub in the company’s Southeast Corridor, connecting industrial and agricultural centers across São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Goiás.
To enhance operations, VLI completed a draft-deepening project at Tiplam’s berths in May, allowing it to receive larger vessels. The investment led to a single-ship operation that moved 72,600 tons of fertilizer inputs, the largest in the terminal’s history.
“This record movement of fertilizer inputs at Tiplam reflects our focus on customer service and our contribution to Brazilian agribusiness across all stages — from planting to export,” said Gabriel Fonseca, VLI’s General Manager for Grain and Fertilizer Sales. “We handle grains throughout all our logistics corridors.”
Beyond the Southeast network, VLI also operates two other major corridors. The East Corridor connects the Triângulo Mineiro region to Espírito Santo’s port system via the Centro-Atlântica Railroad and the Vitória-Minas Railway, currently transitioning to Cargo Railway Transport Agent (ATF-C) status. The North Corridor links Tocantins to São Luís (MA) ports through the North-South Railway and the Carajás Railway, where VLI holds track access rights.
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