Paraná ports see soy exports grow 4 times national average

Official data from the Brazilian government’s foreign trade system shows a rise in soy exports through Paraná state ports this year. From January to July, 9.41 million tonnes of soybeans were shipped, a 16% increase compared to last year’s 8.08 million tonnes.

This growth rate is four times higher than the national average, which saw just a 4% increase, from 72.45 million tonnes in 2023 to 75.39 million tonnes in 2024. China remains the leading export destination, receiving 94% of the soybeans exported through Paraná’s ports.

“We continue to have high expectations for the coming months, including next year. We have good expectations regarding soybean productivity in the 2024/2025 cycle, whose crops will be planted mid-September,” said Luiz Fernando Garcia, CEO of Portos do Paraná.

Another key figure is the variation in representativeness, which compares the productivity of Brazilian ports year over year. The Port of Paranaguá showed the most significant increase in volume handled in the first seven months of 2024 compared to 2023. This growth, referred to as representativeness of variation, accounts for 45% of the national increase in commodities exports compared to the previous year. According to Comex/Stat data, the port handled just over 8 million tonnes in 2023, rising to 9.4 million in 2024.

General Exports

Paraná’s ports handled 24.75 million tonnes of goods for export between January and July, a 4% increase over last year’s 23.81 million tonnes. In addition to soybeans, bulk sugar, and containers also saw the largest volume growth during this period.

Bulk sugar was the second-largest commodity, showing growth compared to 2023. A total of 3.35 million tonnes were shipped in 2024, a 50% increase over the previous year’s 2.24 million tonnes. The primary destinations were Indonesia and Iran.

“The climate issues in India, one of the largest producers and consumers of sugar, caused the country to withdraw from the international market to meet domestic demand. With a considerable export surplus, Brazil has capitalized on this situation, partially taking over India’s export market and even shipping significant volumes to India itself. This year and the first half of 2025 are virtually sold out; we have no more sugar to sell,” explained Giovani Ferreira, a member of the Board of Directors at Portos do Paraná.

Container handling ranked third. A total of 461,808 TEUs (20-foot equivalent units) were shipped during this period, a 38% increase over 2023’s 334,994 TEUs. Frozen meat, particularly chicken and beef, was the top commodity in demand.

“Part of this growth is due to the meat complex. Beef volumes are smaller but also growing, while chicken meat shows organic growth. Currently, the Port of Paranaguá is the world’s largest export channel for frozen chicken,” highlighted Gabriel Vieira, Operations Director at Portos do Paraná.

Record-Breaking Period

From January to June 2024, Paraná’s ports handled 33.78 million tonnes, marking a historic record for this period—9% higher compared to the first half of 2023, which saw 30.89 million tonnes. January, February, March, and June also achieved record-breaking numbers. June had the highest monthly throughput in the port’s history at 6.58 million tonnes, a 3% increase over the previous record set in December last year of 6.37 million tonnes.

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