Brazilian Ports Break Cargo Throughput Records in Third Quarter, Reach 28.7 mln T of Cargo

Brazilian ports have continued to set new cargo throughput records. In the third quarter of this year, public port complexes handled 128.7 million tonnes of cargo, marking a 5.42% increase over the same period in 2023. Year-to-date, organized ports have seen 360.7 million tonnes worth of cargo, posting a 7.43% increase. From July to September 2024, cargo categories with the highest growth rates included Petroleum Gas (+56.12%), Wheat (+31.43%), and Fertilizer (+23.68%).

Minister of Ports and Airports Silvio Costa Filho remarked, “These figures reflect the Federal Government’s strategic planning to bolster our maritime sector. One key initiative includes auctioning approximately 50 port terminals, representing the largest investment plan in the sector.” The minister also highlighted that with the seasonal uptick in agribusiness exports expected in the final quarter, ports are on track to achieve their best performance on record.

According to data released by the National Waterway Transport Agency (Antaq) on Wednesday (6), the ports of Itaguaí in Rio de Janeiro, with 17.31 million tonnes (+8.17%), and Paranaguá in Paraná, with 6.44 million tonnes (+5.58%), reported significant growth. Meanwhile, the port of Santos, the largest port complex in Latin America, saw 37.44 million tonnes, marking a 0.97% increase in the third quarter.

The chart below uses DataLiner data to compare container exports and imports registered at the Port of Santos (measured in TEUs) each month from January 2021 through September 2024.

Santos Container Exports & Imports | Jan 2021 – Sep 2024 | TEUs

Source: DataLiner (click here to request a demo)

Cargo Breakdown

Containerized cargo reached 38.4 million tonnes from July to September, a 12.27% increase year-over-year, representing 3.52 million TEUs. Of this total, 2.35 million TEUs were hauled in long-haul trade, while 1.12 million TEUs were handled through cabotage.

General cargo reached 15.56 million tonnes, up 7.21% from the same period in 2023. However, solid bulk and liquid bulk cargo saw declines of 0.51% and 6.07%, respectively.

Navigation

Long-haul cargo volume reached 257.4 million tonnes in Q3 2024, a 1.17% increase compared to Q3 last year. Port support activities also saw a 1.3% rise, with 0.47 million tonnes handled. Cabotage, however, fell by 1% compared to the same period last year, with 73.83 million tonnes moved between July and September.

Private Terminals

In contrast to public ports, private terminals experienced a 3.3% decline in throughput for the third quarter, totaling 223.09 million tonnes. The Ponta da Madeira Maritime Terminal in Maranhão led private ports with 50.56 million tonnes handled, marking a 3.06% increase over the previous period.

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