Southern Brazil’s public ports grow 14% in Q3 and lead regional logistics recovery

Public ports in the Southern Region (Paraná, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul) recorded significant growth of 14.02% in cargo handling in the third quarter of 2025 (July to September), compared with the same period last year. The data, released by the National Waterway Transportation Agency (Antaq), signal a strong recovery of regional logistics after the climate challenges faced last year.

The performance of the public facilities, which handled 37 million tonnes in the period, was the main driver of the region, surpassing the Southern Region’s overall average (total of public ports and private terminals), whose growth was 8.65%.

The highlight was the ports of Paranaguá (PR), which handled 19.1 million tonnes, and Rio Grande (RS), with 9.1 million tonnes, both essential for the outflow of national production.

Container highlight

One of the main indicators of economic upturn was the jump in container handling at public ports, which recorded an increase of 62.46% (totalling 8.4 million tonnes).

The growth of this modality is strategic, as containerized transport involves logistics of greater added value and higher operational complexity than bulk shipments, requiring more technology and specialized services. In the region’s overall scenario (public and private), containerised cargo totalled 15.2 million tonnes, leading the ranking of cargo types in the quarter.

Southern ports highlights

The data also point to a virtuous cycle in foreign trade. At public ports, exports grew 13.55%, ensuring production outflow, while imports rose 8.59%.

A highlight was the import of fertilisers and plant nutrients (5.9 million tonnes at public ports), indicating that the productive sector is already preparing to ensure productivity for the next harvest. In addition, cabotage (navigation between Brazilian ports) jumped 29.65% at public ports, reinforcing the role of these facilities in national logistics integration.

Source: Ministério dos Portos e Aeroportos 

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