Port of Santos: Container, sugar, and soybeans drive handling in April

In April, cargo handling at the Port of Santos totaled 13.7 million tons, an increase of 1.7% over the same period last year. This sets a new record for the month of April and is the 3rd highest monthly record in the history of the port complex. The other two were March this year (with 15.2 million tons) and August 2020 (with 13.7 million tons).

April also marks the fourth consecutive record set this year, registering the best April in the port’s history. January, February, and March 2021 had already set records also.

Exports were key in reaching this handling level, totaling 10.3 million tons, 6.0% above that seen in April 2020. On the other hand, imports decreased by 9.6%, totaling 3.4 million tons.

The biggest growth was seen in shipments of soybeans, with 5.0 million tons (+9.2%), and sugar, with 1.3 million tons (+16%). Containerized cargo did well in both imports and exports, reaching 382.2 thousand TEU handled, up 6.6%, a record for April. The fall in imports was mainly due to decreased fertilizer unloadings, 345.2 thousand tons (-26.0%), and sulfur, 192.4 thousand tons (-38.5%).

Solid bulk reached 7.5 million tons, an increase of 1.3% over the same period in 2020. Liquid bulk totaled 1.5 million tons, a reduction of 9.2% over the result of April 2020. The loose general cargo totaled 556.1 thousand tons, increasing 7.9% over the same month last year.

Year-to-date

In the accumulated result for the year, cargo handling reached 49.0 million tons, 8.3% above the result of the first four-month period of 2020 (45.3 million tons), setting a new record for the period. Exports totaled 35.2 million tons, up 9.6% over the same period last year (32.1 million tons). Imports grew 5.1%, totaling 13.8 million tons, against 13.1 million tons in 2020, in a clear resumption of imports.

The shipping activity can be explained mainly by the increase in sugar exports (+ 21.6%), with 5.6 million tons, and soybeans in grains (+ 6.9%), with 12.9 million tons. In discharges, the highlight was fertilizer, with 2.1 million tons (+ 44.1%).

Containerized cargo continues to perform well and reached 1.6 million TEU, an increase of 15.0% over the first four months of 2020 (1.4 million TEU).

Solid bulk totaled 24.3 million tons, an increase of 7.6%; liquid bulk grew 0.2%, reaching 5.8 million tons; and general loose cargo rose 7.0%, reaching 2.1 million tons. These were also the best levels reached for the period in these three types of cargo.

Despite the substantial increase in cargo, 1,588 berthings were registered, 2.8% less than in the first four months of 2020 (1,634). This is also a sign of larger, more productive vessels arriving in Santos.

Trade Exchanges

The share of the Port of Santos in the Brazilian trade flow reached 28.4% in April this year. About 27.3% of commercial transactions with foreigners that passed through the Santos port complex had China as their main source and destination. São Paulo remains the state with the largest participation in commercial transactions abroad through the Port of Santos (55.8%).

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