Brazil cabotage hits record July cargo volumes

With consecutive records, Brazil’s port sector closed another month with strong results. Cabotage handled 26 million tonnes of cargo in July, up 2.09%, marking the highest July volume since the series began in 2010, according to data from the Waterway Statistics of the National Waterway Transport Agency (ANTAQ).

Long-haul shipping also set a record for the seventh month of the year, with 90.8 million tonnes moved, a 5.8% increase compared to the same period in 2024. Inland navigation handled 7.8 million tonnes.

Total cargo movement
In July, the waterway sector handled 124.7 million tonnes of cargo, a 4.16% increase year-on-year, also a record for the period. From January to July, total movement reached 780.4 million tonnes, up 1.76%.

Cargo handled at public ports grew 4.32% in July, while Private Use Terminals (TUPs) saw a 4.07% increase, both representing the highest July volumes ever recorded.

Among the 20 busiest public ports, São Francisco do Sul (SC) recorded the largest percentage increase, up 51.04% to 1.7 million tonnes. Another highlight was Itajaí (SC), which moved 0.42 million tonnes.

Among TUPs, Ponta Ubu Maritime Terminal (ES) posted the strongest growth, up 61.68% to 1.2 million tonnes.

Cargo profiles
Growth was driven by records in containerized cargo, dry bulk, and general cargo. Containerized cargo reached 13.9 million tonnes, up 3.32% from July 2024. Of this total, 9.3 million tonnes were handled in long-haul trades, 4.5 million in cabotage, and 0.1 million in inland and port support navigation. In TEUs, container handling totaled 1.3 million.

Dry bulk, which accounted for 61.4% of all cargo handled, totaled 76.6 million tonnes, up 3.73%. General cargo rose 0.89% to 5.4 million tonnes, while liquid bulk reached 28.8 million tonnes, up 6.38%.

Commodity highlights
Soybean oilcake exports rose 23.71% in July, totaling 2.2 million tonnes. Soybeans were up 21.72% at 13.1 million tonnes, while salt shipments grew 19.62% to 0.6 million tonnes.

ANTAQ’s Statistical Panel, available on the agency’s website, allows users to track long-haul, cabotage, and inland transport data, as well as container movements at Brazilian ports, accessible via smartphones and tablets.

Source: Antaq

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