Paranaguá becomes Brazil’s No. 2 port for vehicle handling

The Port of Paranaguá has moved into second place among Brazilian ports for vehicle imports and exports after a sharp increase in traffic this year.

From January through May, the port handled 67,600 cars, trucks and other vehicles, up 63% from 41,600 units in the same period of 2025, according to Portos do Paraná’s Statistics Center.

Gabriel Vieira, Portos do Paraná’s director of port operations, said the increase was driven by a new operation launched late last year after two automakers formed a joint venture.

“That significantly increased vehicle movement, and we have already handled almost 48,000 imported vehicles so far this year,” Vieira said.

China was the main origin and destination for vehicles moving through Paranaguá, accounting for 54.8% of operations in 2026. Mexico followed with 23.4%, ahead of Argentina at 9.3%, Colombia at 4.4% and Germany at 2.3%.

May sets monthly high

May was the strongest month of the year so far for vehicle handling at Paranaguá. The port held operations totaling more than 25,000 vehicles during the month, including 19,789 imports and 5,217 exports.

The previous monthly high in 2026 had been recorded in March, when the port handled 20,900 vehicles, including 15,800 imports and 5,100 exports.

Portos do Paraná CEO Luiz Fernando Garcia said Paranaguá’s cargo diversity is one of its main strengths. The port is already a national leader in soybean oil exports, chicken meat exports and fertilizer imports, and is now gaining ground as a major gateway for vehicle trade.

Garcia said Paranaguá’s location and recent infrastructure investments have helped support that expansion.

“Recent investments have expanded our partners’ operating capacity and made Paraná’s ports increasingly competitive in this market,” he said.

In 2025, Portos do Paraná handled 106,725 vehicles, including 31,421 imports and 75,304 exports.

Vehicle cargo more than doubles by weight

Comex Stat, Brazil’s federal foreign trade database, tracks vehicle imports and exports by weight. By that measure, Paranaguá handled 87,700 tonnes of vehicle cargo in 2026, up 151% from 34,900 tonnes in the same period last year.

That lifted Paranaguá’s share of Brazil’s vehicle import and export market to 14.71%, placing the port second nationwide. It narrowly overtook the Port of Santos, which held a 14.66% share. The Port of Vitória, in Espírito Santo, remains Brazil’s leading port for vehicle handling.

In FOB terms, which measure the value of goods at the point of shipment, vehicle cargo through Paranaguá totaled US$906.8 million in 2026.

Dedicated berth for vehicle operations

Vehicle loading and unloading at Paranaguá takes place at berth 219, which is dedicated to this type of cargo.

Imported vehicles can be stored at the Paranaguá Container Terminal, known as TCP, in the port’s public area and at two specialized vehicle terminals. The port authority says the operations are carried out by specialized teams with one of the lowest vehicle damage rates in Brazil.

Source: Casa Civil PR

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