Rio Grande do Sul Ports End 2024 on a High Note with Increased Activity

The port complex of Rio Grande do Sul closed out 2024 with a 0.52% increase in cargo throughput compared to the previous year. Leading the way, the Port of Rio Grande posted a 1.03% rise in volume, bolstered by notable growth in shipments of pulp (+15.67%), polyethylene (+8.15%), and potassium chloride (+6.09%).

Over 2024’s 366 days, Rio Grande do Sul’s ports saw 3,620 vessel calls: 2,954 at the Port of Rio Grande, 503 at the Port of Pelotas, and 163 at the Port of Porto Alegre. These terminals, operated by Portos RS, collectively processed 45,098,185 tonnes of cargo. Solid bulk accounted for the lion’s share with 28,717,990 tonnes, followed by general cargo at 13,354,056 tonnes and liquid bulk at 3,026,139 tonnes.

Cristiano Klinger, president of Portos RS, highlighted these results as a testament to the region’s resilience and the efforts to rebuild its waterway infrastructure, which faced severe damage from extreme weather in the year’s first half. He credited dredging initiatives at the Port of Rio Grande and broader waterway enhancements with playing a key role in revitalizing the state’s ports. “The 2024 numbers reflect our ability to bounce back after the floods. The second half of the year was marked by tireless efforts to clear navigational channels and restore port operations,” Klinger said.

Port of Rio Grande

The Port of Rio Grande recorded a strong performance in container operations, managing 798,911 TEUs in 2024 — a 24.98% jump from 639,233 TEUs the previous year.

Please refer to the chart below to see how container exports and imports behaved month over month at the Port of Rio Grande. The data comes from DataLiner.

Exports & Imports | Rio Grande Port | Jan 2021 – Nov 2024 | TEUs

Source: DataLiner (click here to request a demo)

Imports at the port totaled 10,885,701 tonnes, with China (1,806,025 t), Argentina (1,597,870 t), Russia (951,874 t), Morocco (711,967 t), and Canada (670,873 t) ranking as the top origins. Exports reached 25,218,338 tonnes, with China (10,941,729 t), Vietnam (1,279,441 t), Iran (1,123,779 t), the United States (892,853 t), and Morocco (768,919 t) as the leading destinations.

Port of Pelotas

The Port of Pelotas handled 1,152,443 tonnes in 2024, with logs for cellulose production dominating volumes at 995,063 tonnes, followed by clinker (144,448 t) and soybeans (12,932 t).

Port of Porto Alegre

The Port of Porto Alegre moved 727,044 tonnes of cargo last year. Fertilizer led the way with 337,446 tonnes, followed by wheat (240,293 t), barley (86,445 t), salt (32,908 t), tallow (25,877 t), and general cargo (4,075 t).

A Strategic Outlook

The performance of Rio Grande do Sul’s ports in 2024 underscores their strategic importance to the region’s economic recovery and growth. Despite the challenges posed by extreme weather, the state’s port infrastructure proved capable of supporting medium—and long-term expansion in trade and logistics.

Source: Rio Grande Tem 

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