Over 840 LCL containers imported into Brazil’s TCP in 2024

In the first seven months of 2024, TCP, the company that operates the Paranaguá Container Terminal, received 846 containers with consolidated cargo, known as LCL (less than container load). The volume of processes delivered (fraction of each client’s cargo inside an LCL container) reached 8,495, a 4% increase compared to the same period in 2023, when 8,163 processes were recorded.

An LCL container is a type of maritime freight service in which different shipments from multiple importers are consolidated into a single container. This means that instead of one customer filling the entire container, smaller shipments from various customers are combined to maximize the use of available space.

“When we receive an LCL container, it is positioned on the dock of our import warehouse, where we remove the seal, open the container, and check the cargo. Afterward, the cargo is picked up, separated by customers, and then palletized and packed, thus concluding the unloading process. This process is essential to ensure that the goods reach their destinations in an organized and safe manner, efficiently meeting our customers’ needs,” explains logistics operations manager Fabio Mattos.

TCP’s bonded import warehouse also represents a significant advantage for customers, saving both time and money when importing containers under the LCL model. At port terminals without an on-site warehouse, importers must request the issuance of a customs transit declaration (DTA) or container transit declaration (DTC) to transfer the containers to an external warehouse for stripping. This process can take up to six days for full cargo release.

According to the commercial, logistics and service manager, Giovanni Guidolim, “TCP’s goal is to act as a one-stop-shop terminal, offering logistics solutions and services for a diverse range of demands, according to the individual needs of each client, ensuring greater efficiency and agility, as well as reducing costs. The bonded import warehouse, located in the primary zone of the Paranaguá Container Terminal, is part of this strategy, ensuring less bureaucracy and faster clearance and unloading of cargo, a process that takes an average of 48 hours. In addition, customers in Curitiba and the metropolitan region who handle fractional loads can also count on our delivery service, receiving their shipments at the door of their establishments.”

The chart below uses DataLiner data to compare long-haul container imports and exports at TCP between January 2021 and June 2024.

TCP Container Movement | Jan 2021 – Jun 2024 | TEU

Source: DataLiner (click here to request a demo)

LCL: A Solution for Importing Small Volumes

Importing a full container of cargo can be costly and bureaucratic for those looking to receive small quantities of various products from abroad. In such cases, the simplest solution is to hire a company that consolidates the goods from several customers to consolidate the total volume of a container for import.

This is the role of NVOCCs (non-vessel operating common carriers), which are companies responsible for gathering sufficient customers to fill a container for import. This makes the process cheaper and less time-consuming for each importer who uses the service.

China Gate is one of these companies. Operating for nine years with full container loads (FCL) and one year with LCL cargo at TCP, the company offers solutions for small and large businesses, focusing on shared containers to facilitate entry into foreign trade and increase profitability for its customers.

Rodrigo Giraldelli, CEO of China Gate, explains that the advantage of operating through TCP is “the proximity to customers and the operational efficiency after the cargo arrives at the terminal. Our LCL cargo is cleared for customs within two days by TCP, while at other terminals, this process can take up to seven days.”

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