Weeklong protests by Brazilian truckers demanding lower fuel and toll prices have spread, causing shortages of gasoline and other products.
The Transportation Ministry's press office said Wednesday that truck drivers were blocking roads in 10 states and television stations broadcast images showing long lines of cars at gas stations that were running out of fuel.
Truckers began their protest on Feb.18 by blocking a highway in the soybean-producing state of Mato Grosso. The movement quickly spread and on Wednesday they were blocking highways and other roads, mostly in the agriculturally rich south, southeast and central-western parts of Brazil.
Truck drivers are also protesting low freight prices and are demanding that freight costs be based on the distances trucks travel to deliver goods. Freight costs are currently determined by tonnage.
The protest has caused delivery delays and shortages of diesel and gasoline as well as products such as soybeans, milk and meat.
Brazil is the world's leading supplier of sugar, coffee and orange juice and the second biggest producer of beef and soybeans. So far the protest movement has not affected the shipment of those products since ports have sufficient stocks to load incoming ships.
Government officials, union leaders and representatives of transportation companies were scheduled to meet to discuss the drivers' demands.
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