A press officer at the Sindifisco union said that since mid-June, customs inspectors were inspecting all, instead of just a sample, of non-perishable cargoes while they waited for the government to respond to a request for negotiations over pay.
"This is not a strike the way you might understand that, but there are now very, very rigorous checks," the press officer who said he was not allowed to speak on the record, told Reuters.
Exporters and shippers offered a less dramatic version of the events.
A representative from coffee exporters Comexim in Santos, near the country's biggest port, said exports were continuing as normal for bagged and bulk goods. The head of coffee exporter Five Star said one of his coffee loads had been picked out for inspection and held for two-three days instead of the usual one.
Nicolle de Castro, an analyst from the SA Commodities/Unimar shipping agency said inspectors were also working fewer days and at a slower pace, but said there was still little disruption to sugar because wet weather had already been hampering shipments.
Brazil is the world's top producer of sugar and coffee and relies on its ports to export a host of other commodities including mineral resources.
The weather has since turned drier and the sugar harvest is headed for its peak in the next couple months, which could heighten the risks in the weeks ahead if the customs officials extend their protest. A Sindifisco press officer said the union planned to continue operating this way until the government agreed to negotiate. (Reuters)
