Port of Santos to reach historic 100 million TEU milestone this year

The Port of Santos is expected to reach a historic milestone of 100 million TEUs handled this year, underscoring the growing importance of containerized cargo at Brazil’s largest port complex over the past several decades.

Containers made their first appearance at Santos in the 1970s. In 1981, the opening of Tecon Santos helped establish the port as Brazil’s natural leader in container handling. Until the early 2000s, annual throughput remained at up to 1 million TEUs.

According to Datamar data, both exports and imports at the Port of Santos increased in the first five months of the year compared with the same period a year earlier, rising 3.3% and 7.3%, respectively. The chart below compares the long-haul operations recorded in recent years:

Port of Santos | Exports vs. Imports | Jan 2023-May 2026 | TEUs

Source: DataLiner (click here to request a demo)

Volumes have since grown sharply, supported by port modernization, efficiency gains and the establishment of container terminals such as BTP, Ecoporto and DP World Santos. In 2025, the port handled more than 5.9 million TEUs, up 7.7% from the previous year.

For 2026, throughput is expected to exceed 6 million TEUs.

Container volumes are set to rise further with the development of Tecon 10, a new terminal expected to increase the Port of Santos’ container handling capacity by around 50%. The auction to select the company that will build and operate the terminal is expected to be held soon.

Anderson Pomini, president of the Santos Port Authority, said the new container milestone reflects the port complex’s operational efficiency.

“The Port of Santos is proving its ability to meet the growing demands of Brazil’s logistics system while preparing for the coming decades with the development of Tecon 10,” he said.

Cargo record

The Port of Santos has also been setting records in total cargo tonnage. In 2025, cargo movement reached 186.4 million tonnes, up 3.6% from the previous record of 179.8 million tonnes, set in 2024.

Source: Porto de Santos

Sharing is caring!