Port of Santos cargo handling rises 3.6% through July

Port of Santos cargo handling reached 109.5 million metric tons between January and July 2026, up 3.6% from the same period last year, according to the Santos Port Authority, or APS.

The Port of Santos, Brazil’s largest maritime gateway, handled 81.11 million metric tons of outbound cargo in the period, a 3.4% increase from 2025. Inbound cargo totaled 28.45 million metric tons, up 4.2% year on year.

Containerized cargo also grew, rising 3.9% to 3.47 million TEUs in the first seven months of the year.

Monthly cargo movement

In July alone, cargo movement at the Port of Santos fell 3.5% from July 2025, when the port had posted its all-time monthly handling record.

The port handled 16.8 million metric tons during the month, including 12.4 million metric tons of outbound cargo, down 4%, and 4.7 million metric tons of inbound cargo, down 2.2%.

Container volumes also declined in July, falling 2.1% to 523,500 TEUs.

Despite the monthly decline, the year-to-date figures show Port of Santos throughput remained above 2025 levels, supported by growth in both exports and imports through Brazil’s main port complex.

Source: Santos Port Authority

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