The Brazilian port sector
Formed by 37 organized maritime and fluvial ports and 131 private-use terminals (TUPs), Brazil’s port system handled more than 1 billion tons in 2015, which represents an increase of 4% on the prior year, according to the National Water Transportation Agency (Antaq). The industry is responsible for more than 90% of the country’s exports.
Every year, private terminals gain a higher share of the cargo handling market. In 2015, TUPs handled 656 million tons, an increase of 5.9% from 2014. Another 351 million tons were handled by public ports, which represents an increase of 0.7%. Private terminals currently account for approximately 65% of the volume exported and imported through the national ports system.
According to Antaq, despite the performance of the Brazilian economy in the year, port activity benefitted from growth in the handling of commodities, such as ores (+5.2% vs. 2014) and steel goods (+17.3%), and from the record agricultural harvest (+7.7%).
