Scenario analysis of Brazilian soybean exports via discrete event simulation applied to soybean transportation: The case of Mato Grosso State

In 2015, Brazil exported 54.32 million metric tons of soybeans, which represents 40.2% of the total world exports. Even with lower production costs, Brazil's competitive advantages are diminished due to difficulties with product distribution caused by problems in the logistical network. The objective of this study is to aid in strategic transport decision-making via a discrete event simulation project. The object of study is the logistical export system for soybeans for the state of Mato Grosso, the largest producer and exporter of soybeans in Brazil. The decision-making process is based on route costs and the availability of ports. Four different scenarios were simulated for the export system. At the end of the simulations performed for three months, and beyond simply comparing total costs, the results indicate that there is a need for the development and expansion of, primarily the Port of Vitória and the ports in the north of Brazil, as well as the multimodal logistics flow to these operational ports.