Brazil January-March Port Throughput Reaches 302.9 Million Tonnes

The Brazilian port market showed considerable growth, expanding by 5.2% in the first quarter of the year, as per the latest report unveiled by the National Waterborne Transport Agency (ANTAQ). This upsurge was predominantly propelled by the surge in containerized cargo and solid bulk operations.

Over the course of the first three months of 2024, a total of 302.9 million tonnes of cargo were transported, marking a notable rise from the 287.9 million tonnes recorded during the same period in 2023. Noteworthy increases were observed particularly in the transportation of iron ore (up by 13.95%) and sugar (up by 83.08%).

However, March saw a slight dip in movement, with 104.1 million tons being moved, representing a decrease of 3.68% compared to the corresponding period in 2023.

The throughput during the quarter surged to 34.1 million tonnes, a significant increase of 20.3% year-on-year, equating to 3.1 million TEUs. Notably, 23.2 million tons were transported in long haul journeys, while 10.5 million tonnes were moved through cabotage.

Solid bulk, constituting 57.7% of the total cargo throughput, exhibited a growth of 6.43% compared to the first three months of 2023, amounting to 174.6 million tonnes transported between January and March this year.

Conversely, liquid bulk and general cargo experienced modest declines during the quarter, moving 79.9 million tons (down by 0.46%) and 14.3 million tons (down by 6.4%), respectively.

Journey-wise, long-haul cargo totaled 210.1 million tonnes during the first quarter of 2024, indicating a growth of 7.32% from the same period last year. Cabotage also saw a notable uptick of 2.98%, reaching 72.7 million tonnes, with container cabotage witnessing a substantial surge of 25.06% compared to Q1 2023.

Moreover, port and maritime support cargo operations witnessed a significant growth of 9.74% in the quarter, at a total of 0.4 million tonnes. Inland navigation, however, experienced a decline of 7.47% during the same period, with a total of 19.2 million tonnes.

Public ports

Public ports played a pivotal role, amassing a throughput of 104.4 million tonnes in the first three months of 2024, marking an increase of 6.62% compared to the previous year. Notably, the Port of Santos emerged as the busiest, handling 32.5 million tonnes, registering a notable increase of 14.56% compared to the same period in 2023. Meanwhile, the Port of Itaguaí (RJ) demonstrated significant growth, with a 24.44% increase, handling 13 million tons during the quarter.

Private Terminals

On the other hand, Private Use Terminals (TUPs) reported a total throughput of 198.5 million tonnes between January and March 2024, marking a 4.47% increase compared to the same period in the previous year. Among the top 20 TUPs in the country, the Ilha Guaíba Terminal, situated in Rio de Janeiro, exhibited the highest growth, with a remarkable 33.47% increase compared to 2023, handling a total of 6.4 million tonnes in the quarter.

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