The number of ships waiting at Brazilian port was also rising as the harvest of the 2012/13 crop in the important center-south region picked up steam. Wet weather in Santos and Paranagua over the past several days slowed loading of bulk raws into open holds.
Brazil is the largest producer of sugar and controls half the world's exports in the commodity.
The crop is expected to be larger this season than last year due to better yields and increased planting of the cane crop, but only modestly. Output of sugar may come in below current expectations if heavier than average rains continue to drag down sucrose content in cane plants, analysts say.
Under wetter conditions, mills tend to favor the production of ethanol, rather than sugar, but so far that has not happened.
At Santos, Brazil's main port for sugar exports, the lineup of vessels grew to 52 from 44 a week ago.
The line-up at Paranagua, the No. 2 sugar port, moved down by two ships to 33 vessels to load both whites and raws. (Reuters)
