Port of Santos sets new cargo-handling records

In May, the Port of Santos set a new record for cargo handling for the month, reaching 14 million tons, an increase of 7.3% over the previous highest mark for May which was registered in 2020. It is the second-best monthly result in the history of the port, behind only March of this year (15.2 million tons).

May also marks the fifth consecutive record of the year – January, February, March, and April 2021 had already surpassed their own record handling levels.

In the accumulated result for the first five months of the year, the movement reached 63 million tons, 8.1% higher in the annual comparison, which sets yet another record for the period.

The flow of TEU containers increased by double digits compared to 2020, both in the monthly movement (23.8%) and in the annual movement (16.7%), involving the operation of 412,263 TEU in the month and 1,996,561 TEU year-to-date, setting new records in both the month and the year-to-date for this type of cargo.

See the chart below for a history of long-haul cargo handling at the Port of Santos since 2018:

Long-haul Cargo Handling in Santos | Jan 2018 to Apr 2021 | WTMT

Graph source: DataLiner  (To request a DataLiner demo click here)

According to Marcelo Ribeiro, Operations Director of Santos Port Authority (SPA), the continuing high cargo-handling levels reflect not only the strength of agribusiness and the strong growth of the container but also the efforts made to increase the efficiency of the Port of Santos and keep it as the country’s primary national logistics asset. “These numbers are favored by the management actions we have been adopting in recent years, and reflect not only the review of regulations and increased inspections for compliance with productivity indicators but also the expansion of areas through new auctions and transition contracts,” explained the executive.

Shipments grew 5% in May, to 10.4 million tons, and by 8.5% in the first five months of the year, to 45.6 million tons compared to 2020.

Soybeans in bulk remained the primary cargo responsible for driving exports and reached an export volume of 4.1 million tons in May and 17 million tons year to date.

Bulk sugar increased 5% in May, maintaining double-digit growth in the year, up 16.9% – with 2 million tons exported in the same period in 2020 and 7 million tons in 2021.

Imports reached a total of 3.6 million tons in May, an increase of 14.9% over the same month last year. In the first five months, the volume grew 7% over the same period in 2020, to 17.4 million tons.

Fertilizer led import volume, which, despite decreasing by 7.1% in the month, totaled 606,600 tons. In accumulated terms, fertilizer volume reached 2.7 million tons, a growth of 28.5% over the same period in 2020.

Solid bulk totaled 32 million tons from January to May, an increase of 6.5% compared to the same base of the previous year, registering the best mark for the period. Liquid bulk reached 7.2 million tons, down 1.7% in the annual comparison, presenting, however, the second-highest mark for the period.

The flow of ships increased by 3.6% in the month (429 vessels) and decreased by 1.5% in the accumulated result (2,017 vessels), pointing to an increase in the volume of cargo transported by ship.

Participation in Brazilian trade exchanges

The Port of Santos was responsible for 28.5% of Brazil’s foreign trade, with China highlighted as both the main destination and origination of goods (28.7%). The state of São Paulo continues to have the largest share in these transactions through the Port of Santos (55.5%).

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