Port sector handles 513m tons during the first half of 2019

The Brazilian port sector handled 513m tons in the first half of 2019. The figure represented a decrease of 3.29% over the same period last year, reflecting the weak performance of the Brazilian economy and the retraction of the world economy. In the same period of 2018, Brazilian port facilities handled 530.5m tons.

In the first half of 2019, private use terminals accounted for 337m tons, registering a decrease of 4.04%. Public ports handled 176m tons, with a decrease of 1.83%. The data come from the Statistics and Performance Management Department of the National Agency for Water Transport (GEA/ANTAQ), and were released today (09/26).

Of the nine major port facilities in the country, eight experienced a decline in cargo handling in the first half of this year compared to the same period of 2018: the private use terminals of Ponta da Madeira (-7.06%), Tubarão (-25.48%) , São Sebastião (-0.55%), and Guaíba Island (-37.83%); and the public ports of Santos (-3.36%), Itaguaí (-11.05), Paranaguá (-5.93%), and Rio Grande (-3.93%). Only the Angra dos Reis Waterway Terminal showed a positive variation (11.40%).

In the analysis by cargo type, 314.6m tons of solid bulk were handled in the first six months of this year, representing a decrease of 6.80% compared to the first half of 2018, and 115.9m tons of liquid bulk, which represented an increase of 2.58% over the same period last year. In the first half of this year there was also an increase in container handling (+ 3.72%) and general cargo (+ 2.76%) compared to the same period of 2018, totaling, respectively, 55m and 27.3m tons handled.

Regarding the main commodities, corn is a highlight. In the first six months of the year, the national port sector handled 9.2m tons of maize, 116.53% more than in the same period of 2018. Another relevant commodity was oil (fuels), with 102.8m tons handled, an increase of 4.22% compared to the first half of last year. Fertilizers and iron and steel are also a highlight, which recorded, respectively, an increase of 6.47% and 7.69% compared to the same period last year.

Among the main goods that presented a decrease in the period were iron ore (-8.90%), which registered 16.5m tons less than in the first half of 2018, and soybean (-8.09 %), with 5.3m tons less compared to the first half of 2018. Other commodities that presented movement retraction in the comparison of the first semester of 2018 and 2019 were: bauxite (-13.20%); mineral coal (-13.51%), and cellulose pulp (-4.76%).

“The decline in handling in the first half of 2019 was directly motivated by the decline in shipments of iron ore, which is the most grossly handled commodity. Solid iron ore bulk has been facing problems since the early end of the production chain, due to the disruption of dams and an atypical period of heavy rainfall in the northern region of the country,” explains ANTAQ’s substitute Statistics and Performance Evaluation manager, Leopoldo Kirchner. “On the other hand, we can highlight as a positive point the growth in this period of containerized cargo handling, around 3.5%, while still maintaining the semiannual growth line that has been demonstrated year by year,” he added.

The survey also brings data on exports and imports. A total of 294.3m tons were exported, representing a 6.57% drop in the total handled for export in the first six months of 2018, and 70.9m tons were imported, which means an increase of 1.20% compared to the same period in 2018.

Navigations

Long-haul navigation handled 365.2m tons in the first half of 2019, down 5.16% compared to the same period of 2018. Cabotage navigation moved 112.9m tons, remaining stable (+ 0.20%). In container handling, cabotage increased by 15.74% compared to the same period of 2018.

The highlight was the inland navigation, which moved 33m tons in the period, accounting for growth in total handling (+ 9.30%), as well as solid bulk handling (+ 11.76%), liquid bulk (+ 5.23%), general cargo (+ 2.93%), and containers (+ 5.36%).

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