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With Historic High in Cargo Movement, Ports in the South Celebrate Progress in March 2025; Government Prepares New Auctions to Expand Capacity and Modernize Infrastructure
The public ports in southern Brazil recorded historic performance in March 2025. According to data released in May by the National Agency for Waterway Transportation (Antaq), cargo movement grew by 7% compared to the same period in 2024. This is the highest volume for the month in the last ten years.
The growth is celebrated by the federal government. The Minister of Ports and Airports, Silvio Costa Filho, attributes the good results to investments made in the area. He highlighted that improvements in infrastructure make the terminals more efficient and help attract new businesses.
“These are structural works that increase the efficiency of the terminals, attract new businesses, and make our ports increasingly competitive on the global stage,” he stated.
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According to the National Secretary of Ports, Alex Ávila, the combination of factors such as record agricultural production and improvements in ports was essential for this progress.
He also emphasized the positive impacts in the regions where the ports are located, with increases in income and job opportunities.
Among the products, cereals led the movement. The secretary explained that this performance was driven by record harvests and the specialization of ports in the Southern Region in handling bulk grains. Among them are the ports of Paranaguá, São Francisco do Sul, and Rio Grande.
Results by State
In Paraná, the growth of port movement was 10.22%. The highlight was a 20% increase in the volume of bulk solid cargo. Containerized cargo also recorded an increase, growing by 6.47%. Other cargo saw a rise of 2.42%.
Santa Catarina experienced a rise of 3.84%. In this state, the highlight was containerized cargo, which saw a significant increase of 224.19%. The Port of São Francisco do Sul led this result.
In Rio Grande do Sul, overall movement grew by 3.24%. The Port of Rio Grande stood out with an almost 17% increase in containerized cargo.
New Auctions Will Expand Capacity
To continue the expansion of the sector, the federal government announced the second block of port auctions for 2025. The forecast is that investments will reach R$ 1.03 billion.
This initiative is part of the Ministry of Ports and Airports’ plan to modernize the country’s port logistics.
Four terminals are included in the new package. They are located at the ports of Rio de Janeiro (RJ), Porto Alegre (RS), Vila do Conde (PA), and Maceió (AL). The auction is expected to take place in July, following the approval of studies and the publication of the announcement by Antaq.
The terminals included are: VCD29 at the Port of Vila do Conde (PA); RDJ07 at the Port of Rio de Janeiro (RJ); POA26 at the Port of Porto Alegre (RS); and TMP Maceió at the Port of Maceió (AL).
Minister Silvio Costa Filho stated that the planned investments will expand the capacity for agricultural production flow, as well as improve transportation infrastructure. He also highlighted the impacts on job generation, income, and greater comfort for passengers and tourists.
With information from Conexão Itajubá.
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