Sesame and bean exports surge, making Paranaguá Brazil’s pulse export leader

The Paranaguá Container Terminal (TCP), in Paraná, operated by TCP, has established itself as Brazil’s main logistics hub for exporting two high-value agricultural commodities to Asia: sesame and beans.

The terminal secured over 70% market share in both segments, with growth rates exceeding national averages. The company shared its export performance to date exclusively with Forbes Agro.

Brazil’s 2024/25 sesame crop was marked by an expansion in planted area and an estimated production of around 399,400 tonnes. Bean production, meanwhile, is estimated at just over 3 million tonnes by the National Supply Company (Conab).

Sesame: the impact of China’s market opening
In less than a year since China opened its market to Brazilian sesame, the Asian giant has already become TCP’s main destination for shipments.

By September 2025, TCP had exported a total of 249,000 tonnes of sesame, up 184% from 88,000 tonnes in the same period a year earlier.

This volume gives the terminal a 71% share of Brazil’s total sesame exports, with overall shipments reaching 349,700 tonnes through September, generating US$393 million (R$2.1 billion at the latest exchange rate), according to data from the Foreign Trade Secretariat (Secex) of the Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade and Services (MDIC).

China, which alone consumes more than one-third of the world’s sesame, now accounts for 46% of all sesame exported by TCP, followed by India (21%) and Vietnam (8%).

Carolina Brown, the company’s commercial manager, attributes this success to the terminal’s handling capacity and the port of Paranaguá’s infrastructure. The company currently operates eight weekly shipping services connecting to Asian destinations.

Bean exports triple, strengthening niche market abroad
According to Secex, Brazil exported 362,400 tonnes of beans through September — the largest volume on record and 4% higher than in the same period last year. In value terms, revenue reached US$ 304.7 million (R$ 1.6 billion at the latest exchange rate).

At TCP, bean shipments grew 79% between 2024 and 2025, rising from 176,000 tonnes to 315,000 tonnes from January to September. This performance makes the company Brazil’s top export corridor for beans, with an 87% market share in the segment.

The main destinations for beans exported by TCP were India (64%), Portugal (6%), and South Africa (5%).

Giovanni Guidolim, TCP’s manager, highlighted the terminal’s agility and operational efficiency — key for a perishable product that requires fumigation — ensuring that shipments arrive on schedule and maintain profitability for importers.

Source: Forbes

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