Paraná Ports increase cargo handling in first two months despite Coronavirus

Despite fears of the impact the coronavirus spread is having on the world economy, Paraná Ports registered a slight increase in cargo handling in the first two months of the year. In January and February, about 7.3 million tons of cargo was traded through the state’s terminals. The volume is 1% higher than year-ago levels when 7.2 million tons were handled.

“Import and export through the ports of Paranaguá and Antonina was not affected by the effects of Covid-19. In conversation with operators in all segments, we did not receive any reports of cancellations or delays caused as a result of the disease ”, says the Director of Operation for Portos do Paraná, Luiz Teixeira da Silva Júnior.

As was the case in January, the segments that grew the most in February by volume were liquid bulk and general cargo. Of liquid cargo, 1.14 million tons were traded. The volume is 21% higher than the 946,500 tons in the first two months of 2019. For general cargo, there was a 13% year-on-year rise during the same period to 1.8 million tons compared with 1.6 million tons in 2019. Container movement in January and February was 11% higher. This year, 141,619 TEU were traded, compared with 127,796 TEU in 2019. .

Solids – Even though the solid bulk segment recorded a 7% drop in the first two months of the year to 4.36 million tons, some cargo types registered a significant increase.  Sugar was one example, which rose 32% year-on-year to 183,300 tons.  The main destinations were Algeria, Malaysia and Guinea.

Mooring – In the first two months of 2020, there were 344 moorings for vessels, 121 of which were containers, 119 for solid bulk, 74 for liquids, 16 for vehicles (Ro-ro and PCC) and 14 for general cargo, mainly cellulose. Of the total number of vessels that docked in the ports of Paraná in January and February, 15 were bound for China and only six came from there.  During the same period last year, there were 330 moorings in the ports of Paraná. Of these, two came from China and four were bound for there.

The following chart shows the main products handled by the Port of Paranaguá since January 2015:

Sharing is caring!