January 27th – Grains Markets and Trading


January 27th 2022

Grains Markets and Trading

ANTARES: We attach to this News a flyer with the full detail of all our staff for your ready reference. Both for our office in Buenos Aires and for San Lorenzo (Upriver).

Week end duty staff: (Friday noon, January 28th, until Monday January 31st 2022, 0800 hrs)

– HQ Buenos Aires:

Manuel García Claveria +54 9 11 5578 4559

Gastón Cabrera +54 9 11 5578 4556

– Upriver:

Sebastián José Ferrara +54 9 11 3156 1679

Franco Gabriel Ostojic +54 9 11 6656 1678

Walter Nestor Travaglini +54 9 11 3156 16800

National Holidays: Monday, February 28th and Tuesday March 01st, Carnival

Tugboat service: Tugboats have returned to a “work to rule” after the expiry of the mandatory truce imposed by the Ministry of Labor. In Bahia Blanca and Necochea they work for 12 hours per day (every day) which start counting from the first service rendered.

Grains Markets and Trading: Republic of Korea has purchased four Panamax cargoes of maize and wheat for February shipment. The sourcing is expected to be partly from EC SAmerica.

COFCO has posted the highest percentage (60 per cent) of the required pre-export permit reports for maize over the last 60 days. This amounts to nearly 90,000 tons.

FOB maize prices at Bahia Blanca are at a premium due to the shallow draft at Upriver ports and the increasing amount of completion vessels calling there.

Barley harvest has been completed and the initial volume is somewhere between 5 and 5.2 million tons, a record volume. Of these 3.5 million go to export. Brazil and Continent take the malting barley and China takes the feed barley, although it is reportedly also used for malting.

Covid-19 in Argentina: New reported Covid cases are 77.729 for today. The slight drop, measured on a daily basis, continues. Deaths reported were 334 and the occupation of intensive care beds remains manageable. Most cases are of the Omicron variety.

Flag waiver Arg-Brazil: As we have informed previously the requirement for flag waivers on cargoes carried on trade between Argentina and Brazil (and vice versa) should be lifted as from February 05th 2022. This was needed because of an agreement/treaty in place since the mid-80s. Middle of 2021 year the Brazilian Government denounced this treaty and as per the terms agreed it will be lifted as of February 05th 2022. In the meantime the “affected” parties have been placing pressure and looking for manners to keep their privileges. Due to this pressure it may result that there will be some and possible regulatory backlash prior to February 2022. We shall keep you posted on developments.

Crew changes in Argentina: Restrictions have placed on all persons travelling who originate or transit via Africa due to the detection of the “Omicron” variety of Covid-19.

This is still an ongoing and developing situation.

Incoming crew are now allowed to join vessels provided the proper Visa and Sanitary arrangements are made at origin principally as per below:

*Visas are issued prior entry at the corresponding Argentine Consulate for nationalities required.

The list of nationalities that require visas is available at: this link

*Full vaccination performed at least 14 days prior entry to Argentina

*Negative PCR test performed 72 hours prior first boarding

*Antigen test performed upon arrival at “safe entry corridor” point (for example Buenos Aires Airport Ezeiza)

If, in case the boarding crew member does not have full vaccination (minimum 2 doses) before boarding then the person must be kept in quarantine for 7 days and may only leave this quarantine once a negative PCR test is performed.
Crew are allowed to leave vessels on Sanitary grounds. This is understood to be with a medical certificate, issued in Argentina, that certifies the crew member is “unfit for duty onboard”. One reason considered to be “unfit for duty onboard” is in case that due to “severe distress” the crew member cannot perform his duties. Another reason is in case the crew member has an expired work contract and can prove to Sanitary Authority that he cannot wait for the vessel’s next port of call.

PLEASE CONSULT US PRIOR COMMENCING PROCEDURES.

Crew changes made at foreign port/s 14 days prior arrival at Argentine ports: Besides many other documents and certificates, these below are of special concern:

-Owner’s Crew changes protocol at foreign countries].

-Owner’s note (with signature and stamp of the Captain and Owners company) clarifying that the crew change was carried out taking all due precautions, etc.

-Medical certificate issued by certified professional in the country where the crew joined, not the country of origin.

-Covid test, PCR, for on-signers at port of boarding (not country of origin).

Lacking any of above (besides all usual documents) pilots will not be allowed to board until a 14 day period is counted starting from the moment the last crew-member has boarded.

Will keep you posted.

Best regards,

Antares Servicios Maritimos S.A.

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