New DataLiner Data: Brazilian Container Imports Rise 9.5% in January–September

Brazilian container imports rose 9.5% between January and September 2026 compared with the same period in 2025, according to newly released data from Datamar’s Business Intelligence team. Inbound volumes reached 2.85 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), with each TEU representing the capacity of a 20-foot container. In September alone, imports increased 14% year over year.

The vehicles and auto parts sector accounted for more than half of the net increase in imports during the nine-month period, while China expanded its share as the leading origin of inbound cargo. Export growth was more moderate: shipments rose 4.2% in the first nine months of the year but declined 1.7% in September.

The chart below compares Brazil’s containerized imports during the first nine months of each year since 2023, based on DataLiner figures.

Brazilian Containerized Imports | Jan–Sep 2023 to Jan–Sep 2026 | TEUs

Source: DataLiner – explore our trade data

Vehicles and Auto Parts Account for More Than Half of Growth

Among imported goods, vehicles and auto parts stood out, with volumes rising 44.9% to approximately 420,000 TEUs. The category accounted for 14.7% of total containerized imports.

In absolute terms, the sector added roughly 130,000 TEUs to imports, equivalent to 52.6% of the net increase of 247,300 TEUs recorded during the period. The result shows that although import growth extended across different commodity groups, more than half of the increase was concentrated in this category.

Imports of rubber (24.4%), paper (24.3%), reactors, boilers and machinery (5.8%), textiles (5%) and plastics (4.7%) also increased. By contrast, inbound volumes of pesticides and electrical equipment fell 11.6% and 3.5%, respectively.

China Expands Its Share of Brazilian Container Imports

Among the main countries of origin, shipments from China rose 22.6%, accounting for 54.3% of Brazil’s containerized imports. China’s share stood at approximately 48.5% in the first nine months of 2025, representing an increase of 5.8 percentage points.

Chinese shipments added roughly 285,000 TEUs to Brazilian container imports. This increase exceeded the net growth in total imports, as part of the expansion was offset by declines in shipments from other countries.

The increase is also evident in broader foreign trade statistics. According to Brazil’s Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade and Services (MDIC), the value of Brazilian imports from China rose 9.9% between January and September, reaching $58.62 billion. This indicator covers all modes of transportation and provides context for the trend observed in containerized cargo, although it is not directly comparable to changes measured in TEUs.

DataLiner figures also showed increases in imports from Egypt (35.8%) and India (3.4%). Meanwhile, the United States, the second-largest country of origin with a 5.9% share, recorded a 31.4% decline. Volumes from Germany, Italy and Belgium fell 6.8%, 6.5% and 4.3%, respectively.

Exports Increase in the Nine-Month Period

Brazilian containerized exports totaled 2.44 million TEUs between January and September 2026, up 4.2% from the same period a year earlier. Despite the cumulative increase, shipments in September fell 1.7% year over year.

The chart below compares Brazil’s containerized exports during the first nine months of each year since 2023, based on DataLiner figures.

Brazilian Containerized Exports | Jan–Sep 2023 to Jan–Sep 2026 | TEUs

Source: DataLiner – explore our trade data

Among commodity groups, food industry residues (51.3%), cotton (25.6%) and pulp (12.2%) recorded notable increases. Meat products, which accounted for 22.8% of total exports, posted a 5.9% increase. By contrast, shipments of sugar (13%), paper (2.9%), plastics (2.2%) and wood (1.8%) declined.

The monthly decline in containerized exports coincided with a reduction in beef shipments. According to the Brazilian Association of Meat Exporting Industries (ABIEC), the sector’s export volume fell 35.1% in September compared with the same month a year earlier. The association attributed the decline mainly to a sharp reduction in sales to China amid a safeguard measure in effect in that market.

This trend provides context for September’s results but does not, on its own, explain the decline in containerized shipments. ABIEC’s figures are measured in metric tons and refer specifically to beef, while DataLiner’s meat category covers a broader range of products.

Export Destinations Show Diverging Trends

China remained the leading destination for Brazilian containerized exports, accounting for 15.1% of shipments and posting growth of 6.5% in the nine-month period. Exports to the Netherlands (17.4%), Colombia (17%), Japan (8.5%), India (8.2%) and Mexico (2%) also increased.

The United States, Brazil’s second-largest export destination with a 10.6% share, recorded an 11.5% decline compared with the first nine months of 2025.

The decline comes amid trade barriers affecting some Brazilian products. The impact of additional U.S. tariffs prompted the Brazilian government to introduce support measures for exporting companies, including extending deadlines under the drawback regime, which allows taxes on inputs used to produce goods for export to be suspended.

The growth in shipments to other destinations contrasts with the decline in exports to the United States. However, the aggregate data do not establish that the same cargoes were redirected to other markets, nor do they allow the entire decline to be attributed to tariffs.

Argentina Increases Exports and Reduces Imports

Argentina’s containerized exports totaled 452,964 TEUs between January and September 2026, up 15.5% from the 392,250 TEUs recorded during the same period in 2025. Imports, meanwhile, declined 8%, falling from 572,130 TEUs to 526,630 TEUs.

As a result, the country shipped an additional 60,714 TEUs abroad and received 45,500 fewer TEUs in imports during the first nine months of the year.

The same direction of change is evident in broader foreign trade statistics. According to Argentina’s National Institute of Statistics and Censuses (INDEC), the country’s exports increased 21.6% in value during the period, while imports fell 2.5%. These percentages refer to total merchandise trade measured in U.S. dollars, rather than containerized cargo alone.

Uruguay Maintains Stable Imports as Exports Rise

Uruguay’s containerized exports reached 136,813 TEUs between January and September 2026, up 10.8% from the 123,491 TEUs recorded during the same period in 2025. This represented an increase of 13,322 TEUs in outbound shipments.

Imports remained virtually unchanged, totaling 150,401 TEUs compared with 150,468 TEUs in the first nine months of the previous year, a decline of just 67 TEUs.

The expansion in containerized shipments occurred alongside more moderate growth in total export revenues. According to Uruguay XXI, the country’s merchandise exports, including those from free trade zones, totaled $10.37 billion between January and September, up 1%. The difference compared with the increase in TEUs shows that cargo movements and the financial performance of exports can follow different trends, as they involve different units of measurement and cargo compositions.

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