Port of Paranaguá announces draft increase for container ships

Container ships are now departing even more heavily loaded from the Port of Paranaguá after regulatory authorities authorized an increase in draft from 12.8 to 13.3 meters at berths 216 and 218. The draft is the distance between the water’s surface and the deepest point of a vessel, known as the keel.

“With this increase, we aim to attract mega-ships, such as those 366 meters long, which will be able to depart from Paranaguá carrying even more cargo,” said Luiz Fernando Garcia, CEO of Portos do Paraná.

The draft expansion was approved by the pilotage authority and the Brazilian Navy, and the authorization was published in early November by Portos do Paraná through Ordinance No. 224/2025 of the Maritime Traffic and Berthing Regulation.

It is estimated that with an additional 50 centimeters of draft, approximately 400 TEUs — equivalent to 20-foot or six-meter containers — of fully loaded cargo can be added per vessel. The measure provides operators with a competitive advantage, enabling them to move more cargo without increasing costs.

See below a history of long-haul container movements at the Port of Paranaguá. The chart was prepared with DataLiner data and excludes transshipment, cabotage, and other internal movements:

Long-haul Container Movements at the Port of Paranaguá | Jan 2022 to Sep 2025 | TEU

Source: DataLiner (Click here to request a demo)

The rock removal works completed last year, along with the company’s ongoing dredging investments, have contributed to successive increases in draft depth.

Access channel

In October, the access channel to the Paraná ports was auctioned for concession. Planned improvements include deepening the draft to 15.5 meters within the first five years of the concession and maintaining that depth until the end of the contract. The winning bidder was the Canal da Galheta Dragagem Consortium, formed by FTS Participações Societárias S.A., Deme Concessions NV, and Deme Dredging NV.

The concession also includes a 12.63% discount on the Inframar fee, which vessels pay to access the ports. The concessionaire will only begin receiving the full fee — and may request gradual adjustments — after completing the improvement schedule set out in the bidding notice and contract.

The consortium will also be responsible for conducting studies and hydrographic surveys, dredging, rock removal, signaling, and other maintenance and modernization works on the Paranaguá access channel. The total investment is estimated at R$ 1.23 billion, to be executed within the first five years of the 25-year contract.

Steady growth

The most recent update to the Maritime Traffic Regulation occurred in September, when Portos do Paraná announced an increase in draft for solid bulk carriers such as soybeans, meal, corn, and sugar.

Ordinance No. 188/2025 took effect on September 17, covering berths 201, 202, 204, 209, 211, 212, and 213 at the Port of Paranaguá. The change was made possible after the removal of the tip of Pedra da Palangana and a review of the channel’s signaling, supported by maneuvering simulations that ensured vessel safety when leaving the pier without tide or current restrictions.

Source: Portos do Paraná

Sharing is caring!