The cargo volume at the ports of Paranaguá and Antonina increased by 9.4% in Q1

The volume of cargo seen at the ports of Paraná in the first quarter of 2022 was 9.4% higher than the same period last year. From January to March, the Paranaguá and Antonina terminals handled 14,079,177 tonnes. Last year, the figure was 12,869,762 tonnes.

“The increase in the cargo volume handled in the quarter show the strength of agribusiness in Brazil. The flow of food items drove these numbers up, with emphasis on bulk exports, such as soybeans, bran, corn, in addition to fertilizer imports, which are used in crops,” says Luiz Fernando Garcia, CEO of Portos do Paraná, a public company that manages the state maritime terminals.

Solid bulk accounts for 17% of all goods handled, considering imports and exports. From January to March, these ports handled 8,915,471 tonnes. In the same months of 2021, the number was 7,643,257 tonnes.

The general cargo volume accounts for 3,269,434 tonnes, down from 3,286,879 tonnes in 2021, a single 1% drop year-on-year. As for liquid bulk, 1,894,272 tonnes were handled, down 2% from last year’s 1,939,625 tonnes.

Fertilizers

The impact of the Eastern European crisis has yet to be shown in the quarter’s numbers. The fertilizers, which are primarily from Russia, were acquired in 2021. “On top of the time it takes for a vessel to arrive at Paranaguá, which includes calls at different ports, one has to consider the entire trade process. From initial talks to the product’s landing, one can expect at least seven months,” explains Garcia.

The increase in fertilizer imports reached 28%, comparing January to March 2021 and the same period in 2022. This year, there were 2,391,195 tonnes imported and 3,068,596 the previous year.

Bulk cargo

Shipments of soybeans (18%), bran (38%) and wheat (135%) were the highlight among exports. Respectively, the volumes handled of these products were 3,303,523 tonnes, 1,342,739 tonnes and 32,895 tonnes.

In the first quarter of 2021, 2,809,033 tonnes of soybeans were handled; bran accounted for 970,140 tonnes, and wheat for 14 thousand tonnes. In the case of what, domestic also pressured imports which grew 26%. In total, 80,468 tonnes of goods arrived from other countries via Paranaguá.

Containers

Approximately 269.037 TEUs were registered from January to March, up 3% from the 260,135 TEUs reported last year.

As for containerized exports, the increase was even greater: 4%. In the first quarter, 152,798 TEUs were shipped compared to 146,746 TEUs. Containerized imports totalled 16,962 TEUs this year, against 113,398 TEUs in 2021 – up 3%.

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