Ports in Rio Grande do Sul Report Growth Across the Board from January to October

From January to October 2023, the ports in Brazil’s southernmost state, Rio Grande do Sul, have seen significant year-on-year growth. The ports managed by Portos RS collectively handled 37,544,373 tonnes, marking a 13.94% increase compared to the 32,951,803 tons in 2022.

These throughput figures consider the productivity of the three public ports and the companies located in the industrial district of Rio Grande. Separately, each unit also experienced growth.

Over the first ten months of the year, 3,066 vessels passed through the ports, with 2,508 in Rio Grande alone. The Port of Pelotas received 437 barges during this period, and the Porto Alegre port welcomed 121 ships from January to October. Solid bulk goods led the cargo ranking, reaching 24,835,171 tonnes.

In the Port of Rio Grande, which had a 14.44% growth, some of the cargo that experienced growth in terms of volume handled were soybeans (73.40%), corn (72.14%), other goods (19.79%), soymeal (13.73%), and tobacco (2.67%). Soybeans went from 4,806,008 tonnes to 8,333,501 tonnes, and corn increased from 344,453 to 592,934 tonnes.

In Pelotas, where throughput grew 5.34%, the highlight was the movement of wood logs used in cellulose production by CMPC in Guaíba at 893,780 tonnes. The second most moved cargo in the Pelotas public dock was clinker, at around 188,351 tonnes. Soybeans totaled 34,715 tonnes.

In the Port of Porto Alegre, cargo operations increased 4.47%. Fertilizer movements continued to take the lead, with 459,458 tonnes. Barley shipments reached 96,832 tonnes, followed by bovine tallow with 70,550 tonnes, wheat with 53,003 tonnes, salt with 34,701 tonnes, soybean meal with 1,974 tonnes, and general cargo with 1,603 tonnes.

Rio Grande’s Production Goes Global

The ports of Rio Grande do Sul connect the state’s products to the world, and currently, 30% of the state’s GDP hinges on the international market. The primary catalyst for this trade relationship is the Port of Rio Grande, which receives vessels from all over the world.

The export destinations are China, Vietnam, Indonesia, the United States, Morocco, South Korea, Spain, Mexico, Portugal, and Iran. Imports come from China, Argentina, Russia, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, the United States, Peru, Belgium, and Qatar, in that order.

Container Movement Growth

Container movement at Tecon Rio Grande increased by 19.02% compared to the same period last year. In 2022, 434,304 TEUs were handled; in 2023, the number reached 516,905. TEUs are the unit of measurement used for this type of operation, where one TEU is equivalent to a 20-foot container, and two TEUs are equivalent to a 40-foot container.

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