Port of Santos Hits Record Cargo Throughput in August Despite Bad Weather Interference

The Port of Santos set new cargo throughput records in August 2024, handling 15.9 million tonnes for the month and 121.5 million tonnes since January. This achievement comes despite 116 hours of suspended navigation due to fog.

With one quarter still remaining in the year, the port has already surpassed the total cargo throughput from eight years ago (113.8 million tonnes in 2016). The increase compared to the previous record from January to August 2023 is 9%.

Anderson Pomini, President of Santos Port Authority (APS), highlighted the significance of these figures, stating that they reaffirm Santos’ status as a world-class port: “This is how we were recognized by CMA CGM, the world’s third-largest shipping company, which is set to invest R$ 6.3 billion in the most important port in the Southern Hemisphere.”

Shipments for the year have already exceeded 90.3 million tonnes, an 8.3% increase compared to 2023. The leading exports were from the soybean complex (grain and meal), totaling 34.1 million tonnes, followed by sugar (17.8 million) and corn (5.6 million). Notably, coffee bean shipments grew by 53.5%, reaching nearly 1.6 million tonnes.

Imports also saw growth, with an 11.2% increase in the first eight months of the year compared to 2023, surpassing 31.2 million tonnes. Fertilizer was the most imported commodity, at 4.9 million tonnes, ranking fifth among the port’s most handled cargo, behind soybeans, sugar, corn, and pulp. Wheat imports rose by 23.4%, totaling 829.3 thousand tonnes.

Container movement also broke records, with 3.5 million TEUs, marking a 15.1% increase compared to the same period in 2023.

The chart below compares container exports and imports recorded at Santos between January 2021 and July 2024. The data was sourced from DataLiner, Datamar’s maritime data platform.

Container Exports and Imports | Port of Santos | Jan 2021 – Jul 2024 | TEUs

Source: DataLiner (click here to request a demo)

Monthly Performance

The 15.9 million tonnes handled in August represents a 4.9% rise compared to August 2023. More than half (8.5 million tonnes) were solid bulk cargoes. The standout exports were sugar and soybeans, with growth of 23.8% and 17.2%, respectively. The most significant shipments were sugar (2.9 million tonnes), corn (2.8 million), and soy (2 million). The largest growth, however, was in meat exports, which surged 31.5%, totaling 218.3 thousand tonnes.

Container throughput in August increased by 6% compared to August 2023, surpassing 476 thousand TEUs, marking the best August performance on record.

Santos’ share in Brazil’s total trade flow also increased slightly, reaching 28.5% in August 2024 compared to 28.3% in the same month the previous year. The number of vessel calls rose from 3,584 in 2023 to 3,700 in 2024. Despite record throughput, the number of calls in August decreased from 459 in 2023 to 446 this year.

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