Posted on June 19, 2024
The cargo volume handled by Brazilian ports in the first four months shows the sector is on track to break another record this year.
The ports handled 414 million tons in January-April, up 5.92% year-on-year, according to the ports and airports ministry.
The cargo figure for last year was a record 1.3 billion tons as the country’s trade surged, with an annual increase of 6.9%.
This year, the government projects an expansion of at least 6% with a strong possibility of a higher figure.
“The strength of agriculture exports is concentrated in the second half of the year. This indicates that there is room for port activity to grow even faster until the end of the year, at close to 8% compared to 2023,” said ports and airports minister Silvio Costa Filho.
The main goods handled by the ports in the first four months were soybeans, corn, crude oil and iron ore.
The record performance of the sector has motivated the government to offer port terminals to the private sector in order to boost capacity-driven investments. The government is planning to offer new leasing contracts for some terminals in the coming quarters.
