Ports in Brazil’s ‘Arco Norte’ exhibit 60M throughput

According to the National Waterway Transportation Agency (ANTAQ), the ports in Brazil’s Arco Norte region handled a total of 60.3 million tonnes of cargo in June and July 2023. Almost 84% of this volume was solid bulk, including 31 million tonnes of iron ore. The Amazon Basin Association of Port Terminals and Cargo Transshipment Stations (AMPORT) predicts a 30% increase in port throughput in 2023 compared to the previous year, confirming the region’s ongoing growth trend in port activity.

The Arco Norte, which includes the Northern region of Brazil and the states of Maranhão, Sergipe, Pernambuco, and Bahia, continues to outperform other Brazilian regions in year-over-year growth. In 2022, it accounted for 51% of the total vegetable bulk exports of the country, further underscoring the region’s considerable potential, as noted by AMPORT’s President, Flávio Acatauassú.

The ports of Santarém, PA, exported 10 million tonnes in the first half of this year, a 35% increase over the same period in 2022. Despite the challenges posed by low river levels, the Port Authority hopes to reach the 15 million ton mark in 2023.

“Our ports have the operational capacity to handle Brazil’s agricultural output. We must balance transportation modes such as waterways, roads, and railways to accomplish this. They are complementary and capable of meeting the growing demand in the Arco Norte,” Flávio says.

He further highlights that the region’s ports benefit from good depth, with draft depths exceeding those of the access channels to the sea. “There is a natural inclination for transporting bulk commodities, minerals, and liquids. Moreover, local operations are conducted with sustainability principles aligned with COP 30,” he explains.

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