June also marked the Terminal’s best month. Growth in Asian and North American markets contributed to increased throughput.

Porto Itapoá achieves its best semester in history

Porto Itapoá closed its best semester in history, along with its best month. In total, 597,338 TEUs were handled in the first semester of 2024, a 12% increase compared to the first semester of 2023, when 533,423 TEUs were handled.

In June 2024, the Terminal handled 109,889 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent unit), the highest monthly number in its history, surpassing April of this year, when 107,475 TEUs were handled.

Felipe Fioravanti Kaufmann, Director of Business Development and Customer Experience at Porto Itapoá, attributes the growth of the Asian market as a significant factor for these numbers. “The entire port logistics system of the southern cluster showed growth driven primarily by imports from China,” he evaluates.

Another flow that supported the growth in the first semester of 2024 was the increase in volumes of Animal Protein exported through Porto Itapoá. This flow grew by 43% compared to the same period in 2023. “This cargo represents a very important segment for the South and Southeast regions, where the states with the highest production of protein in general are located.”

According to the executive, the above-average growth in volumes handled by Porto Itapoá is due to the offering of maritime services that connect key markets. “We have been offering reliability with high productivity to shipowners, a key factor in directing maritime lines to Porto Itapoá,” explains Kaufmann.

Imports

Import numbers at Porto Itapoá were also record-breaking for general cargo, with 40,817 TEUs handled in June. “We saw strong growth in plastics, as well as in chemicals and machinery chains,” Kaufmann exemplifies.

Refrigerated cargo imports also set a record in June, with 1,360 TEUs handled. “Here, we had significant movement of food and pharmaceutical products.”

Crossdocking

June was also significant for crossdocking operations – a mode where cargo is transferred directly from truck to container or vice versa. “It’s the best month in our history, with 1,998 TEUs operated,” highlights Kaufmann.

The new warehouse, inaugurated in January this year, is one of the keys to the success of this type of operation. “It is a robust structure, covering 8,000 m² with several technological advantages, which has been crucial in improving our numbers in this type of operation,” concludes the director.

Investments

To continue supporting market growth, Porto Itapoá has been investing in its operational capacity. The capacity for reefer container plugs will be increased by 35% with the addition of 1,080 plugs to serve this segment. Furthermore, the arrival of new equipment is already guaranteed for this year. “Porto Itapoá is known for always being ahead of demand, offering additional capacity to the market to enable growth. In addition to the mentioned investments, we are already discussing new expansions in area and equipment such as large cranes,” emphasizes the executive.