Record cargo growth puts Brazil’s port sector at a strategic crossroads

Brazil’s ports, the main gateways for the country’s foreign trade, posted another record in cargo throughput in 2025. From January to November, ports handled 1.27 billion tonnes of cargo, up 4.97% from the same period a year earlier. Based on that performance, the Ministry of Ports and Airports expects total throughput to exceed 1.34 billion tonnes by year-end.

According to the Brazilian Association of Port Terminals (ABTP), however, the record figures highlight the need for structural decisions to ensure the pace of growth can be sustained in the coming years.

Data released by the National Waterway Transportation Agency (Antaq), Brazil’s port and waterway regulator, reflect the impact of investments made by terminal operators, gains in operational efficiency and ongoing modernization of port infrastructure, the association said. At the same time, sustained growth has increased operational complexity and placed additional pressure on installed capacity, reinforcing the need for greater legal certainty and regulatory predictability to support new investments.

“The numbers show that Brazil’s port system is operating at high intensity. To maintain this level of performance in a sustainable way, it is essential to move forward with planning, predictability and stronger institutional organization,” said Jesualdo Silva, chief executive of ABTP. “Initiatives aimed at modernizing the sector and providing greater legal certainty, such as Bill 733 of 2025, which revises the legal framework for ports, help align the pace of growth with the current complexity of port operations.”

Between January and November, growth in port activity was driven mainly by higher volumes of bulk and containerized cargo. Key commodities handled during the period included iron ore, crude oil and petroleum products, containerized goods and soybeans, all of which posted significant year-on-year increases.

“The sector has responded efficiently to recent challenges,” Silva said. “The next step is to ensure this trajectory is sustainable and aligned with the future needs of the Brazilian economy, which makes the approval of Bill 733 in the first half of 2025 essential.”

Source: ABTP press office

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