Record in the works: Port of Santos witnesses 29.4% surge in cargo throughput for November

Cargo throughput at the Port of Santos reached a record 15.7 million tonnes in November, a growth of 29.4% compared to the same month last year, marking the highest figure for November. The increase in shipments of sugar (15.6%), soybeans (69.2%), soybean meal (50.1%), and corn (58.0%), along with fertilizer landings (83.8%), played a decisive role in this result. Container throughput for the month totaled 409.5 thousand TEUs, an 8.2% increase from the same month in 2022.

With this performance, the port surpassed the year-to-date throughput from last year (150.3 million tons), reaching 157.7 million tonnes, a growth of 4.9%, the highest figure for the period, and is poised to surpass its historical record set last year by the end of this year. Exports grew 8.0%, reaching 118.4 million tons, while imports saw a reduction of 3.4%, totaling 39.2 million tons.

“These numbers increasingly highlight the value of the Port of Santos for Brazil and underscore the need to invest even more in improvements, technology, and access. The importance of a new downhill route from Highland to the Coast becomes evident,” said Anderson Pomini, President of the Port Authority of Santos.

Agribusiness goods continued to stand out across the year, especially soybeans (+17.7%), with 29.8 million tonnes; corn (+38.5%), with 18.4 million tonnes; and sugar (+6.7%), with 20.1 million tonnes. However, container throughput for the year-to-date showed a 5.7% decrease compared to the same period the previous year.

All cargo segments showed significant growth and set their highest marks for the period. Solid bulk goods increased by 13.1%, accumulating 86.2 million tons, with notable shipments of soybeans, corn, and sugar. This cargo segment set its highest record for the period.

Liquid bulk goods totaled 17.6 million tonnes, a 1.0% increase, with notable performance in diesel and gas oil unloading (+36.6%, 1.9 million tonnes), fuel oil loading (+11.8%, 3.2 million tonnes), and citrus juice (+7.9%, 2.3 million tonnes). General loose cargo decreased by 10.7%, totaling 7.9 million tons, focusing on cellulose (6.6 million tons).

The vessel flow for the 11 months of the year was 4,949 dockings, a 4.0% increase.

See below the container exports and imports from the Port of Santos between Jan 2019 and Oct 2023. The data is from DataLiner.

Container Exports & Imports | Port of Santos | Jan 2019 – Oct 2023 | TEU

Source: DataLiner (click here to request a demo)

Trade Flow – The Port of Santos maintained its share in the Brazilian trade flow at 28.5%. Approximately 30.2% of Brazil’s commercial transactions with the exterior passing through the port complex involved China as a trading partner. The state of São Paulo retained the largest share (54.4%) in foreign trade transactions through the Port of Santos.

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