Paraná ports post record August cargo volumes

Cargo handling at Paraná’s ports reached the highest volume ever recorded for August, according to historical averages. The monthly report from the Operations Directorate showed that 7,077,439 tonnes of exports and imports were handled, 3% higher than in August 2024.

From January to August, results were even more significant: 48,648,592 tonnes, a 5% increase compared to the same period last year (46,367,569 tonnes).

“This growth in shipping and receiving cargo is the result of the investments we’ve made in infrastructure, as well as the management and planning work initiated in 2019,” said Luiz Fernando Garcia, CEO of Portos do Paraná.

According to the public company’s statistics, average volumes at the ports of Paranaguá and Antonina should remain close to 6 million tonnes per month until December, creating room for annual throughput to surpass the previous record. Expectations point to reaching 70 million tonnes by the end of 2025.

Check below a history of long-haul container throughput at the Port of Santos starting in January 2022. The chart was prepared using DataLiner data:

Long-Haul Container Throughput at the Port of Paranaguá | Jan 2022 to July 2025 | TEU

Source: DataLiner (Click here to request a demo)

August highlights

Corn was the top commodity of the month, with 833,052 tonnes exported — a surge of 1,043% compared to August 2024 (72,900 tonnes). Year-to-date exports grew 261%, rising from 581,700 tonnes in 2024 to 2.09 million tonnes in 2025. Corn accounted for 12% of August’s throughput and 13% of the yearly total.

Brazil’s record harvest and the emergence of new international buyers fueled this sharp rise in exports.

Containerized cargo rose 11%, from 787,800 tonnes in August 2024 to 875,600 tonnes in August 2025.

Other commodities also showed increases in exports:

• Vegetable oil rose 19% year on year, with a 50% increase in the year-to-date total.
• Petroleum derivatives jumped 74% compared to August 2024.
• Pulp climbed 58% in August and 24% year-to-date.
• Bagged sugar grew 7% as exports, previously stalled by low cane output due to adverse weather, began regaining ground in the market.

Imports

Total imports remained stable in August compared to 2024, but grew 5% in the year-to-date.

“This performance shows a balance between exports and imports. Growth is directly linked to port infrastructure, such as the increased draft that allows larger vessel loading,” explained Gabriel Vieira, Operations Director.

Key imports in August included inputs for solvent production and petroleum derivatives, up 34% and 16%, respectively.

Barley imports grew 87% year-to-date, driven by demand from breweries and a major malting facility in the Campos Gerais region.

Fertilizer imports fell in August but still accumulated a 10% increase for the year, representing 16% of all imports.

Exchange balance

Despite dollar fluctuations, Brazil’s exchange balance remained stable compared to the same period in 2024, supported by the record harvest and strong international demand. At times, the slight appreciation of the Real against the Dollar helped offset differences between the price paid for commodities and producers’ expectations.

Source: Portos do Paraná

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