Cargo handling at the Port of Santos grows 16% to 10.6 million tons

Cargo handling at the Port of Santos grew 16% in January this year compared to the same month last year, to 10.6 million tons.

This was the highest mark for the month, mainly due to shipments of cellulose, corn and soy, informed the Santos Port Authority (SPA), which manages the port complex.

According to the report, solid bulk handling increased 29.8% year-on-year, driven by shipments of soybeans and corn. Liquids increased 8.6%, with emphasis on fuel oil and caustic soda operations.

Loose general cargo registered an increase of 63% in the volume handled, due to the increase in shipments of pulp, iron and steel. Containerized cargo operations totaled 384.1 TEU (20-foot container), an increase of 2.5% compared to January last year, reaching the best historical mark for the month.

In January, 379 ships docked at the Port of Santos, 9.9% more than the flow seen in the same period last year.

In exports, the biggest growth was in shipments of cellulose (655 thousand tons, an annual increase of 72%), corn (1 million tons, +67%) and soybeans (1.3 million tons, +51.2 %).

In terms of imports, the highlight was the internalization of 767 thousand tons of fertilizers, growth of 9.8%. According to SPA, the share of the Port of Santos in the Brazilian trade balance reached 28.3% in January.

China accounted for 26.8% of the transactions that passed through the Santos port complex.

São Paulo was the state with the highest participation (53%) in sales abroad through the Port of Santos.