Company at the Port of Santos sets monthly container handling record in South America

135,000 containers were handled in July, the highest number ever recorded for a terminal in South America (Disclosure/Santos Brasil)

A container terminal at the Port of Santos reached, in July, the highest volume ever recorded in a single month by a company in this sector across South America: 135,000 containers were handled.

Tecon Santos, operated by Santos Brasil, is located on the Left Bank (Guarujá) of the Santos quay. The company's previous record was in June, with 129,282 units.

The largest container terminal in South America, Tecon Santos is set to receive approximately R\$ 2.6 billion in investments between 2019 and 2031, of which R\$ 1.6 billion is expected by May 2025, according to the company.

Among the investments are the deepening of the quay and a 220-meter extension, bringing its total length to 1,510 meters. This will allow the terminal to simultaneously accommodate up to three New Panamax vessels, each 366 meters in length, in addition to one vessel at the Vehicle Terminal (TEV), which has 310 meters of quay.

Currently, the investment focus is on yard expansion, which has already increased capacity from 2.4 million to 2.7 million TEU (twenty-foot equivalent units) per year following the demolition of an administrative building in 2024.

By the end of this year, the company states that the demolition of a second building will enable the terminal to reach a capacity of 3 million TEU per year by 2026.

According to Bruno Stupello, Director of Port Terminal Operations at Santos Brasil, the results reflect investments in infrastructure, processes, and people.

"We have a distinguished and committed team, and a state-of-the-art terminal. Everything is in place to ensure exporters, importers, and shipping lines have guaranteed space for their cargo, along with a high level of service."

In the first half of 2025, Tecon Santos handled 1.223 million TEU, an increase of 12.7% compared to the same period in 2024, outperforming the Port of Santos itself, which grew by 7.8% over the semester.