Sugar exports in bulk surge 119% in Brazil’s Paranagua Port

The ports of Paraná reported a 12% increase in total cargo throughput for the first four months of 2024. From January to April, 21,377,501 tonnes were handled, up from 19,060,512 tonnes in the same period last year. The standout was sugar exports, which surged to 1,640,273 tonnes, a 119% increase from 747,657 tonnes in 2023.

Both bulk and bagged sugar saw significant increases. Bagged sugar exports nearly doubled, rising from 105,572 tonnes in 2023 to 206,740 tonnes in 2024, marking a 96% growth. “India remains our primary destination, driven by climate challenges there, leading to high demand and attractive prices,” said Luiz Fernando Garcia, CEO of Portos do Paraná.

“Paranaguá’s operational efficiency and capacity for swift movement have drawn market attention. This is evidenced by the eight consecutive months of record general cargo movement from August 2023 to March this year. April continued this trend with high commodity movement,” added Gabriel Vieira, operations director at Portos do Paraná.

Other Notable Growth

Besides sugar, other cargoes also showed notable growth in the first four months of 2024 compared to the previous year. Soybean exports increased from 3,703,668 tonnes to 4,985,019 tonnes, a 35% rise. Container movement saw a 38% jump, from 368,718 TEUs (20-foot equivalent units) to 509,230 TEUs, solidifying the Port of Paranaguá as the second-largest container port in Brazil, behind only Santos. Fertilizer imports grew from 3,054,589 tonnes to 3,179,252 tonnes, a 4% increase, maintaining the port’s status as the main entry point for this commodity into the country.

Record Production

Paraná state, the origin of most exports shipped through the Port of Paranaguá, also broke records in the first four months of 2024. A survey by the Paraná Institute of Economic and Social Development (Ipardes) using data from the Ministry of Development, Industry, Commerce and Services (MDIC) showed that the state exported goods worth US$7.47 billion during this period, a 1.6% increase from US$7.35 billion in the same period in 2023. Raw sugar, the fourth most exported product, totaled US$367.8 million, a 120.5% increase compared to the first four months of 2023.

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