Brazil’s Pecém Port posts 37% rise in container throughput, driven by Asia trade

The Port of Pecém, in the state of Ceará, handled 444,999 TEUs between January and August 2025, a 37% increase compared to the same period last year, according to data from the Complex. The growth was driven by the consolidation of four regular container routes: two to Europe, one to the United States, and, since this year, a new route to Asia. This new route alone already accounts for 15% of the total handled, reinforcing Pecém’s position as a strategic logistics hub.

The Minister of Ports and Airports, Silvio Costa Filho, highlighted that the performance reflects the logistics potential of the Northeast and the importance of infrastructure investment for the country. “The results at the Port of Pecém show the strength of Ceará and the Northeast in foreign trade and reinforce the importance of investing in port infrastructure. With the expansion works and the arrival of new projects, we will boost Brazil’s competitiveness, create jobs, and further open the country to international markets,” he said.

The president of the Pecém Complex, Maximiliano Quintino, also underscored this year’s positive results. “In 2025, we have already reached 444,999 TEUs, a 37% increase over the previous year. The new route to Asia, launched this year, already represents 15% of container handling and has been key to this outcome. With the implementation of Berth 11, the expansion of Pier 2, and the construction of the Utility Corridor, we will have even more capacity to serve the production chain and strategic projects at the Complex, such as the Green Hydrogen Hub, Transnordestina Railway, Supergasbras, and Dislub,” he stated.

Over the last three years, Pecém has handled 53 million tons: 16.9 million in 2022, 17.1 million in 2023, and 19 million in 2024. From January to June this year, volumes reached 9.5 million tons, up 6.7% from the same period in 2024. Currently, the Port accounts for 79.8% of Ceará’s port throughput, while the Port of Fortaleza handles 20.1%.

Cabotage is the dominant mode of navigation, representing 63% of volumes moved between 2022 and 2025, compared with 37% from long-haul routes. Containers are the leading cargo type (4.0 million tons), followed by iron ore (2.5 million tons) and iron and steel (1.7 million tons).

In parallel with operational performance, Pecém is carrying out its Master and Expansion Plans, with major projects scheduled to begin later in 2025. The first will be the construction of Berth 11 at the Multi-Purpose Terminal (TMUT), with 350 meters of quay, dredging of 1.3 million m³, and a 450-meter breakwater. Next will be the expansion of Pier 2, adapting berths to handle liquid bulk such as petroleum derivatives, LPG, and hydrogen in the form of ammonia. The schedule also includes the construction of Utility Corridors—dedicated infrastructure lanes integrating ammonia pipelines, gas pipelines, water pipelines, effluent outfalls, and transmission lines to provide logistical support to the industrial zone of the Complex.

These projects will directly benefit strategic ventures underway or planned for Pecém, such as the Green Hydrogen Hub, which will feature a dedicated 500 kV substation and a 1,700-hectare area in the Export Processing Zone (ZPE), as well as the Dislub storage terminal, Transnordestina Railway, and Supergasbras’ LPG terminal.

According to the Pecém Complex, there are no new maritime services or international routes scheduled for 2025, and official throughput targets for 2026 have not yet been released.

Source: Informativo dos Portos

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