Spanish and Brazilian officials agreed on a deal which envisages exports of up to 6 million tons per year of farm goods from Brazil to Europe and Africa through Port of Las Palmas.

Officials from Spain and Brazil signed a trade deal in March that is intended to move up to 6 million tons of soybeans, corn and farm goods from the Port of Acu in Rio de Janeiro state to the Port of Las Palmas in Spain’s Canary Islands, Agricensus reported. The pilot project between the two ports will kickoff with 25,000 tons of grain that will pass through Las Palmas on to Morroco. The deal will take advantage of the grain storage capacity at Las Palmas as a staging point for the distribution of Brazilian agricultural commodities, mostly soybeans and corn, either entering the European Union through the Canary Islands or moving on to countries in Africa. The deal envisages exports of up to 6 million tons per year of farm goods from Brazil. Las Palmas receives vessels that regularly service maritime routes to 30 countries Africa. “The opportunity is especially interesting because it allows us to distribute our products with ease and at competitive costs to Africa – a frontier that could be better explored by Brazil, as well as to the European Union, which is currently our second largest import market,” said Evaldo da Silva Junior, director of trade at the agriculture ministry.