Impacts of logistic factors on exports: a study on the behavior of transport in exports from the southeast region and destined for mercosur

The Brazilian economy has a significant influence on some South American countries, which in general have a lower level of industrialization and depend on trade with Brazil to supply their markets with the most varied types of products. Highlights include mass consumption products, such as food and beverages. The companies producing these items have a large potential market in South America, and especially in MERCOSUR countries. However, in order to explore and profit from these markets, it is necessary to overcome great barriers, mainly the ones imposed by the transportation costs that the lack of logistical integration the region imposes on the respective companies. This research aims to identify how the exporting companies in the Southeast region are transporting their goods and how their geographical positions and other factors define the choices for the transportation modes to be used, as well as the related logistical impacts.Thus, results demonstrated that an integrated and balanced logistics in all its transport modes would give a much greater economic balance to the country, making the geographical locations of the companies’ impact less on the respective international competitiveness.