Container Traffic Resumes Growth in February at the Port of Santos

In February 2025, the Port of Santos reached a historic milestone in container traffic by handling 434.7 thousand TEU (twenty-foot equivalent units). This volume represents an 8% growth compared to the same period in 2024, making it the highest ever recorded in February. The positive performance during the month contributed to a cumulative total of 895.6 thousand TEU for the first two months of the year—a 10.1% increase and a new record for the period.

Cellulose stood out among export cargoes, with 742.1 thousand tons handled—a growth of 14.4%. Alcohol also showed substantial progress, with 38.1 thousand tons (+47.5%), as did coffee, which reached 200.9 thousand tons (+19.7%). Soybean meal increased by 6.8%, totaling 636.3 thousand tons. In the fuel sector, fuel oil moved 363.1 thousand tons (+33.3%), while gasoline registered an impressive growth of 70.8%, reaching 134.2 thousand tons.

Despite the positive performance in containers and some commodities, total cargo handled by the Port of Santos in February reached 13.1 million tons—a reduction of 8.4% compared to the same month last year. This decline was mainly driven by a 52.3% drop in sugar shipments totaling 1.0 million tons. The reduction in sugar traffic reflects the fall in Brazilian sugar exports (1.82 million tons), which decreased by 11.5%, according to data from the Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade and Services (MDIC).

In February, exports totaled 9.5 million tons (-12.0%), while imports reached 3.6 million tons (-2.8%). The flow of ships amounted to 451 dockings in February, a decrease of 0.9% compared to the previous year.

Dry bulk cargo reached 6.3 million tons, a drop of 18.2%, impacted by the reduction in sugar shipments. Meanwhile, liquid bulk recorded 1.5 million tons—a 4.9% growth—driven by exports of fuel oil, alcohol, and gasoline. The general loose cargo segment handled 828 thousand tons, a 13.1% increase, with cellulose particularly notable.

Foreign Trade

The Port of Santos maintained its significance in Brazilian foreign trade, accounting for 28.7% of its commercial flow. China was the leading trading partner, representing 25.7% of the transactions conducted at the terminal. The State of São Paulo led the operations via Santos, with a 53.4% share.

Anderson Pomini, president of the Port Authority of Santos (APS), commented that “the significant growth in container traffic reinforces the importance of the Port of Santos for handling high value-added cargo. Despite declines in some segments, especially sugar, the positive performance of cargoes such as cellulose, coffee, and fuels demonstrates the diversity of our export matrix and the resilience of Brazilian foreign trade.”

The following chart puts into perspective container exports and imports at Brazil’s Port of Santos between January 2022 and January 2024. This information comes from DataLiner, a Datamar intelligence product.

Container Exports & Imports | Port of Santos | Jan 2022 – Jan 2024 | TEUs

Source: DataLiner (click here to request a demo)

Port of Itajaí Also Registers Growth

The Port of Itajaí, in Santa Catarina, also managed by APS, handled 1.2 million tons in February, an increase of 2.3%. As a result, the year-to-date total reached 2.4 million tons. Portonave, a privately operated terminal located within the port complex, was responsible for 70.7% of the cargo, totaling 1.7 million tons.

Containerized cargo at the Santa Catarina port complex totaled 113 thousand TEU, an increase of 6.3% compared to February 2024, accumulating 231 thousand TEU for the year (+13.5%). Meanwhile, non-containerized general cargo reached 99 thousand tons, a 10% reduction, but still posted a year-to-date increase of 1.3%, totaling 233 thousand tons.

Source: Port of Santos

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