Portos do Paraná Sets Historic Record, Surpassing 70 Million Tonnes in 2025

Portos do Paraná has reached the milestone of 70 million tonnes handled between January and part of December 2025, representing a historic record for the public company and surpassing 2024 productivity by fifteen days before the end of the year. So far, volumes are 5% higher than last year’s levels.

The expectation is to further increase this scale of operations, with projections of reaching between 72 and 73 million tonnes by December 31. As a result, Portos do Paraná will exceed its technical planning, which had forecast a throughput of 70 million tonnes only from 2035 onward.

“The ports of Paraná have once again reached a historic milestone, and much earlier than expected. The Port of Paranaguá is the most efficient in Brazil. We are working with new investments to ensure continued expansion in the coming years and to secure international trade flows for Paraná’s companies and industries,” said Governor Carlos Massa Ratinho Junior.

Cargo throughput at Paraná’s ports increased by 32% between 2018 and 2025. Achieving this milestone before the end of the year is a cause for celebration, according to Portos do Paraná CEO Luiz Fernando Garcia.

“In 2019, when we said we would reach 60 million tonnes, many doubted it would be possible. In five years, we exceeded that target, reaching 66.7 million tonnes. Now, we have surpassed 70 million, proving that with logistical intelligence, investments, and the hard work of the entire Portos do Paraná team—along with the active participation of the port community—it is possible to break barriers and bring the future forward,” Garcia said.

In terms of exports, the Port of Paranaguá is among the most important in the world for grain and meal shipments. It is also the world’s largest export corridor for frozen chicken meat, accounting for more than 48% of total Brazilian production destined for foreign markets.

Among Brazilian ports, Paranaguá is the largest exporter of meat (chicken, beef, and pork), responsible for about 40% of national exports. It is also the main shipping channel for soybean oil and has the country’s second-largest flow of soybean and soybean meal shipments.

Portos do Paraná also stands out in fertilizer imports. In 2025, more than 11 million tonnes were received at Paranaguá and Antonina.

In September this year, the operational draft (the distance between the water surface and the deepest point of the vessel) at solid bulk berths was increased from 13.1 metres to 13.3 metres. This expansion allowed for an average increase of up to 1,500 tonnes per vessel.

In October, container ships also increased throughput following a rise in operational draft from 12.8 metres to 13.3 metres. “With the 50-centimetre increase, there was growth of approximately 400 TEUs per vessel,” said Portos do Paraná Operations Director Gabriel Vieira. A TEU is equivalent to a 20-foot container, or about six metres in length.

The auction for the concession of the access channel to the Port of Paranaguá will further expand the state’s port logistics potential. The Canal da Galheta Dragagem Consortium—formed by FTS Participações Societárias S.A., Deme Concessions NV, and Deme Dredging NV—won the tender held in October.

After formally assuming the contract, the concessionaire will have five years to carry out a series of improvements, including widening and deepening the channel to achieve an operational draft of 15.5 metres. The company will also be responsible for maintaining this standard through the end of the 25-year contract term.

The increase of more than two metres in draft will significantly boost loading capacity: an additional 1,000 containers or 14,000 tonnes of vegetable bulk cargo on a single vessel.

To increase productivity, Portos do Paraná is building the Moegão, the largest public port works project in Brazil, which reached 80% completion in December. Once completed, Moegão will be able to receive 24 million tonnes of grains and meals per year, serving the terminals of the Eastern Export Corridor (Corex).

The Government of Paraná State, through Portos do Paraná, is investing more than BRL 650 million in the construction of Moegão, using its own resources and financing from the National Development Bank (BNDES). In investment terms, the project is equivalent to nearly two Guaratuba bridges, another major state government initiative.

Currently, an average of 550 rail wagons can be unloaded daily at export terminals. With Moegão, this process will be standardized at a single unloading point: 180 wagons can be unloaded every five hours, equivalent to approximately 900 wagons per day. Vegetable bulk cargo will then move via conveyor belts to 11 terminals connected to the system, and from there to the vessels.

The year 2025 was also marked by the completion of the regularization of leasable areas at the Port of Paranaguá. In total, nine auctions were held on Brazil’s stock exchange, attracting new investment and enhancing operational security.

Under the signed contracts, lessees are required to invest in both their granted areas and the common areas. As a result, cargo handling efficiency will increase over the coming years, making Paraná’s ports even more competitive.

With the resources to be invested, it will be possible to modernize and expand the Port of Paranaguá’s infrastructure. Among the new developments is the construction of a T-shaped pier with four new berths, equipped with a high-speed conveyor belt system specifically designed for the new complex.

The new structure will increase vessel loading capacity. Currently, a single berth can load 3,000 tonnes of soybeans or other grains and meals per hour. With the new system, this volume will rise to 8,000 tonnes per hour at each berth.

“We are ensuring that our ports remain agile and less costly for exporters and importers. Above all, we want Portos do Paraná to continue as one of the main drivers of our state’s and our country’s economy,” Garcia concluded.

Source: Portos do Paraná