Trade losses with highway stoppages could exceed 2018, says CNC

Blockades promoted by supporters of President Jair Bolsonaro at several points of highways in Brazil are expected to cause damage to commerce and the losses could surpass those seen in 2018, when truck drivers closed several roads for ten days in a wave of protests over the increase in fuel prices. The forecast is from the National Confederation of Commerce (CNC).

“The movement may cause losses greater than those recorded by a similar action in 2018, which caused a 5.8% retraction in sales volume, with a daily loss of R$ 1.8 billion,” CNC said in a note. “The total cost to retail, in current values, was BRL 18 billion, accounted for over the 10 days of lockdowns in 2018.”

Since Monday (31), protesters have caused several stops on highways, preventing or limiting the passage of vehicles, in protest of the victory of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to the presidency in the elections that ended on Sunday. On Tuesday afternoon (1st), more than 200 stops were counted in several states.

According to CNC, the delay in the transit of goods could have worse impacts, now, due to changes in the business models of retailers after the pandemic .

“The sector’s scenario is aggravated by the greater dependence that companies have on delivery services, since they started to operate with reduced inventories”, says the entity.

“The Confederation adds that the recording of these losses tends to be gradual, as retail has stocks that, depending on the duration of the blockages, will be consumed until the flow of goods is normalized. But it notes that the losses are not restricted to the source of revenue, also impacting the increase in costs, especially those related to transport.”

CNC recalls that, in the 2018 stoppages, when delivery trucks were unable to reach cities and there was a shortage of various products, including fuel, the price of gasoline rose 3.34% and diesel, 6.16%. %.