Port of Santos reaches historic record in the 1st quarter of 2026, with 42.8 million tons

The Santos Port Authority (APS) reported that cargo movement at the Port of Santos reached 16.9 million tons last month, a record for the month of March and the second best mark recorded in any month in history. The sum of the entire quarter accounts for 42.8 million tons, surpassing the total movement of 1999, which was 42.7 million tons, and being close to the best annual result of the 20th century, of 43.1 million tons.

Container movement also registered a record of 485 thousand TEUs, an increase of 5.4% compared to March 2025 and the best historical performance for March. The accumulated volume for the quarter registered 1.4 million TEUs, showing growth of 3.6% compared to the first quarter of last year.

Liquid bulk also contributed significantly to the result. In this quarter, movement was 5 million tons, an increase of 11.6% compared to the same period in 2025 and the best accumulated for a first quarter in the historical series.

Among solid bulk, the total for the quarter was 20.5 million tons, an increase of 11.6% compared to the same period in 2025 and growth of 5.2% compared to the first quarter of the previous year.

Furthermore, the Port of Santos’ participation in the Brazilian trade chain reached 28% in the first three months of 2026, according to APS. During this period, China established itself as the main commercial partner of the port complex, concentrating around 30.7% of commercial transactions of origin or destination passed through the Port of Santos, with a turnover of US$ 12.98 billion.

Another highlight was the United States, which occupied the position of second largest partner with US$4.39 billion. In relation to the states, São Paulo led the flow, with US$ 21.84 billion, representing 51.9% of total export and import operations via the Port of Santos in the quarter.

“The numbers prove the strength of the Port of Santos and the strong and responsible work of the port community and the public management of this giant Brazilian heritage. We have to be proud of this Port and that’s why we work to prepare it for the next 20 years”, stated the president of APS, Anderson Pomini.