Port of Santos handles 141.4 million tonnes through September
The port complex set a record in the cumulative 2026 total, although rainfall reduced operations in September. Containers and liquid bulk reached historic highs during the month.
The Port of Santos handled 141.4 million tonnes between January and September 2026, up 2% from the same period of the previous year. The result set a new record for the first nine months, even with the decline observed in September.
In the year-to-date total, shipments amounted to 104.3 million tonnes, while unloadings reached 37.1 million. Containerized cargo accounted for 47 million tonnes, an annual increase of 3.2%. In units, the port handled 4.52 million TEUs, up 3.5% and also a record for the period.
Dry bulk, which includes products such as grain and sugar, totaled 71.2 million tonnes, up 0.8%. Liquid bulk totaled 7.9 million tonnes in the cumulative period, down 5.6% year over year.
In September, however, overall cargo movement fell to 15.5 million tonnes, a 6.3% decline from the same month of 2025. Unusually heavy rainfall interrupted operations and mainly affected dry bulk. In this category, monthly volume fell 13.4%; corn shipments declined 41.5%, and sugar shipments fell 22.3%.
Total September shipments came to 11.22 million tonnes, down 7.8%, while unloadings reached 4.28 million, a reduction of 2.1%.
Despite the impact of the weather on part of the cargo, two segments posted record performance in the month. Liquid bulk totaled 1.8 million tonnes, the highest figure on record for September, and containers reached 518,600 TEUs, up 0.6% from the same month of the previous year.