Brazil’s TCP Tops 2023 Total with Over Two Months Left in 2024

On Monday (October 21), the Paranaguá Container Terminal (TCP) exceeded the total cargo volume handled at its berths for all of 2023, with more than two months remaining until the year’s end. As of day 294 of 2024, TCP processed 1,253,397 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units), marking a remarkable 34% increase compared to the previous year.

To put this in perspective, 1,253,397 TEUs is roughly equivalent to 7,641 kilometers of containers—about 1.7 times the distance between Brazil’s northernmost point, Mount Caburaí, and its southernmost point, Chuí.

By September’s final consolidated figures, exports had risen 26%, reaching 480,173 TEUs. Meat and frozen products stood out, with 166,784 TEUs of these goods, totaling 2.7 million tonnes, shipped through the Paranaguá terminal.

“TCP continues to dominate as the world’s largest export corridor for frozen chicken, and we are increasing our beef exports by converting new clients who seek greater reliability and operational flexibility,” said Giovanni Guidolim, TCP’s commercial, logistics, and service manager. He also highlighted that the expansion of available reefer container plugs to 5,268 had a direct impact on this growth, further solidifying TCP as South America’s largest refrigerated storage area.

Imports also surged, up 22%, to 480,078 TEUs. Consumer goods and electronics topped the list at 64,496 TEUs, followed by the automotive sector with 56,310 TEUs, and chemicals and petrochemicals at 30,254 TEUs.

The chart below builds on data extracted from Datamar’s DataLiner to compare container exports and imports between January 2021 and August 2024 at the Paranagua Container Terminal.

TCP Container Exports & Imports | Jan 2021 – Aug 2024 | TEUs

Source: DataLiner (click here to request a demo)

Carolina Merkle Brown, TCP’s commercial manager for shipowners, noted that “with the addition of more long-haul and cabotage services, the terminal now offers 25 weekly vessel calls, which enhances cargo transport capacity and opens up new business opportunities for both importers and exporters using Paranaguá.”

These results were also boosted by TCP’s recent R$370 million investment package. The upgrades include expanding the reefer area, modernizing and enlarging the terminal’s gate access points, and adding new equipment, such as 11 RTG cranes and 17 state-of-the-art terminal trucks.

Job offerings

Job offerings have grown according to the terminal’s expansion. Brazil’s TCP hired 341 new employees in the first nine months of 2024, bringing its total workforce to over 1,600. Washington Renan Bohnn, TCP’s human resources and quality manager, stated: “The terminal’s growth directly influences employment in the port region. We expect to surpass 1,700 employees by the end of the year, boosting social and economic development in Paraná.”

Brazil’s TCP currently holds the title of the largest private employer on Paraná’s coast.

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