Soy and corn drive Northern Brazil to top port growth in January

Northern Brazil saw the country’s strongest port growth in January 2026, with cargo throughput rising 42.11% from the same month a year earlier. The region handled a total of 11.5 million tonnes, outperforming all other Brazilian regions. The figures come from the Waterborne Statistics report published by Brazil’s waterway transport regulator, Antaq.

Growth was driven mainly by solid bulk, which reached 8.4 million tonnes, up 53.23%. Containers also posted gains, totaling 1.1 million tonnes, up 31.14%, while liquid bulk rose 8.78% to 1.4 million tonnes.

For Ports and Airports Minister Silvio Costa Filho, the performance reflects a structural shift in Brazil’s logistics network. “The growth of northern ports shows that Brazil is moving forward in diversifying its cargo corridors. With greater efficiency, lower logistics costs and proximity to international markets, the region is consolidating itself as a strategic axis for the country’s economic development,” he said.

Among the main cargoes handled, soybeans and corn had the best performance. Soybean throughput reached 2.2 million tonnes, up 192.47%, while corn totaled 2.6 million tonnes, a gain of 112.17%. Together, the two commodities accounted for more than 40% of all cargo handled in the region.

Check out the main Brazilian soybean export ports in the first month of 2026 below. The chart was prepared using DataLiner data:

Main soybean export ports | Jan 2026 | WTMT

Source: DataLiner (Click here to request a demo)

Other highlights included bauxite, at 2.2 million tonnes, up 21%, and containerized cargo, which also posted strong growth of 31.14%. The result reflects both the advancing harvest and the increasing use of northern ports as a preferred export route.

Exports rise

Foreign trade was one of the main drivers of this result. Exports rose 66.56% in January, while imports increased 4.61%. The performance reinforces the region’s export profile and its importance to Brazil’s trade balance.

In long-haul shipping, between ports in different countries, throughput reached 4.6 million tonnes, up 43.9%. Cabotage, between domestic ports, handled 1 million tonnes, an increase of 17.24% over the period.

Public and private ports

The region’s performance was driven by both public ports and private terminals. Among public facilities, Santarem, in Para state, and Vila do Conde Terminal, also in Para, stood out with about 1.6 million tonnes each. Among private terminals, the highlights were Trombetas Terminal, in Para, with growth of 29.94%; Hermasa Bulk Terminal, in Amazonas state, up 18.82%; and Chibatão Port, also in Amazonas, which rose 34.73%, underscoring the complementarity between different operating models.

Private terminals played a decisive role in the North’s port performance, accounting for most of the cargo handled, about 7.7 million tonnes, or roughly two-thirds of the total. The main highlights were Trombetas Terminal, with about 1.0 million tonnes, Hermasa Bulk Terminal with 980,000 tonnes, and Chibatão Port with 760,000 tonnes, all of them posting relevant growth during the period.

With operations focused mainly on solid bulk, which totaled 5.5 million tonnes and rose 57.49%, these terminals supported exports of commodities such as soybeans, corn and bauxite, which led regional cargo flows. The advance was also directly linked to growth in long-haul shipping, which increased 45.07%, and exports, which rose 57.08%.

Looking only at public ports, throughput reached 3.8 million tonnes, up 50.24%, reinforcing the role of those facilities in the region’s logistics dynamics.

Source: Ministry of Ports and Airports

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