Paraná Ports See 14% Surge in Imports for 2024

The ports in Brazil’s southern state Paraná saw increased import operations from abroad between January and May. Essentially, cargo imports rose 14% compared to 2023, going from 9,074,119 tonnes to a total of 10,335,801 tonnes.

“The rise in imports shows that we have the structure and logistical conditions to handle these cargoes, catering to market demands efficiently,” commented Portos do Paraná president-director Luiz Fernando Garcia.

Wheat figures among the commodities that had the largest increase due to its role in human and animal nutrition. With a 28% increase, the volume of the commodity went from 134,607 tonnes last year to the current 171,849 tonnes. The main driver of this growth was the low quality of the harvest reaped in Brazil last season.

“Brazil is importing more wheat this year, but it is also boosting exports. Low-quality wheat, which is not suitable for domestic use, becomes animal feed in other countries. That is unusual though, given that Brazil isn’t self-sufficient in wheat production. What is happening is that we are increasing output without securing quality,” analyzed Giovani Ferreira, administrative advisor for Portos do Paraná.

The chart below shows containerized imports of fertilizers between January 2021 and April 2024, according to data from DataLiner.

Paranagua Imports in Containers | Jan 2021 – Apr 2023 | TEUs

Source: DataLiner (click here to request a demo)

Another good that went through an increase in operations was malt, a derivative of barley, a key ingredient in the national brewing industry. Imports of malt rose from 15,906 tonnes last year to 227,357 tonnes this year, marking a 5% increase.

Imports of containerized cargo also had significant growth, rising from 231,269 TEUs to 320,054 TEUs, a 38% increase. This surge was driven by imports of electronics, chemicals, and automotive products.

“Logistical strategies have enabled greater cargo movement and faster docking and undocking times for ships, maintaining efficiency and boosting productivity,” said Gabriel Vieira, Director of Operations.

Fertilizers

Fertilizer imports remained comparatively stable, showing little variation from 2023, that is, a jump down from 3,924,545 tonnes in 2023 to 3,903,832 tonnes (-1%). Still, Paraná ranked as the top entryway for fertilizers in the country once more, with a static storage capacity exceeding 3.5 million tonnes of fertilizers.

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