Latin America’s Shipping Titan: Santos Port Expands Capacity Amid Record Growth

Recent data from the Santos Port Authority reveals Brazil’s largest port achieved unprecedented cargo handling volumes in 2024, processing 179.8 million tonnes.

This performance marked a 3.8% increase compared to 2023 and established a new historical record for Latin America’s busiest maritime hub. Exports reached 131.3 million tons, growing 1.0% year-over-year, while imports surged by 12.1% to 48.5 million tons.

The port handled 5.4 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) of containers throughout 2024, representing remarkable 14.7% growth and breaking the 5 million TEU barrier for the first time.

Container traffic maintains its strong momentum into 2025. The port processed 460,800 containers in January alone, setting a new monthly record with a 12.1% increase compared to January 2024.

Sugar shipments played a major role in this growth, with 27.0 million tons handled—a 17.8% increase over previous figures. Soybean exports reached 27.8 million tons, while corn totaled 15.9 million tons.

Other products showed impressive gains, including coffee beans (+41.2%) and meat (+31.5%). The Santos complex solidified its critical position in Brazil’s trade landscape, increasing its national share from 28.5% to 29.0%.

Santos Port Expansion to Meet Growing Demand

It handled $174.43 billion in international trade. China remains the port’s principal trading partner, accounting for 27% of all transactions. The Brazilian Ministry of Ports and Airports confirmed plans for a significant expansion.

The new STS10 container terminal will feature four berths instead of the initially proposed three. This expansion will boost the port’s operational capacity by 50%. Currently, Santos handles approximately 6 million containers annually.

The new terminal will increase this capacity to 9 million containers. The project represents an investment of approximately $580 million and will enter the tender process in 2025. During peak harvest seasons, the port transforms into an even busier logistics hub.

Daily truck traffic jumps from 3,000 to around 15,000 vehicles. The upcoming 2024/2025 harvest, estimated at 322.3 million tons according to Brazil’s National Supply Company, will further test the port’s capacity.

The record-breaking performance demonstrates Santos Port’s strategic importance to Brazil’s economy while highlighting the necessity of continued infrastructure investment to maintain competitive advantage in global shipping.