DataLiner: Container exports and imports grow in the first half of 2021 to recover pre-Covid levels

Data released earlier this month by DataLiner for the first half of 2021 indicate an economic recovery in Brazil to pre-pandemic levels.

From January to June, Brazil imported 1,366,398.24 TEU, increasing 27.7% compared to the same period last year. Imports were the activity that suffered most from the pandemic in 2020, with the drop in industrial activity and movement restrictions.

On the other hand, exports had a more favorable performance in 2020, driven by the rise in the dollar. Even so, in the first six months of 2021, there was a growth of 7.3%, with 1,416,278.89 TEU exported.

“Export and Import activity could have been even greater had it not been for the lack of containers,” says Datamar CEO Andrew Lorimer. “In addition, the congestion occurring at ports around the world also ended up harming cargo handling,” he added.

The charts below show a comparison of Brazilian container imports and exports in the first six months of the year for the last six years:

Brazilian Biannual Imports | Jan to Jun 2019-2021| TEU

Graph source: DataLiner (click here to request a demo)

Brazilian Biannual Exports | Jan to Jun 2019-2021 | TEU

Graph source: DataLiner (click here to request a demo)

A large part of the growth in imports in the first half was in reefer containers. This type of container registered an increase of 31% compared to the same period in 2020. Check the numbers in detail in the following chart:

Brazilian Reefer Container Imports| Jan to Jun 2019-2020 | TEU

Graph source: DataLiner (click here to request a demo)

 

Exports via reefer containers also grew in the half-yearly comparison, but at lower levels. See below the volumes exported in reefer containers over the last three years:

Brazilian Reefer Container Exports | Jan to Jun 2019-2020 | TEU

Graph source: DataLiner (click here to request a demo)

June figures

When specifically analyzing the month of June, DataLiner points out that 196,514.03 TEU were imported, a drop of 64.45% compared to June 2020 and 15.97% compared to May 2021.

Regarding exports, 230,368.56 TEU were shipped abroad, 0.93% fewer than in June 2020 and 8.5% fewer than in May 2020.

 

Check the charts below for a monthly history of Brazilian imports and exports:

Brazilian monthly imports| Jan to Jun 2019-2021 | TEU

Graph source: DataLiner (click here to request a demo)

Brazilian monthly exports | Jan to Jun 2019-2020 | TEU

Graph source: DataLiner (click here to request a demo)

Plate Performance

Unlike Brazil, Argentina registered a 5.1% drop in exports in the first half of 2021 compared to the same period in 2020, with 232,953.77 TEU. Imports from the neighboring country reached 311,881.94 TEU, a growth of 17.06% compared to the first half of 2020.

Uruguay, in turn, exported 105,001.32 TEU between January and June 2021, an increase of 6.1% compared to the same period in 2020. In imports, the growth in the period was 47.69%, with 111,349, 53 YOURS.

Semi-annual exports from Argentina and Uruguay | Jan to Jun 2019-2021 | TEU

Graph source: DataLiner (click here to request a demo)

Semiannual imports from Argentina and Uruguay | Jan to Jun 2019-2021 | TEU

Graph source: DataLiner (click here to request a demo)

 

Perspectives for the coming months

For the coming months, prospects for both imports and exports from Brazil are positive, despite the problems in South Africa, which impacted the performance of its ports.

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