Port of Santos records best February in history for container handling

Shipments declined by 1.7% compared to the same month in 2025, totaling 9.33 million tons (Alexsander Ferraz/AT)

The Port of Santos handled 452,000 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit) in February, a 4% increase compared to the same month last year and the highest figure for the period in history.

In the Port’s total throughput, in tons, there was a slight increase of 0.4% compared to February last year, reaching 13.17 million tons. “The result can be considered positive, as accumulated rainfall during the month exceeded the historical average and the highest-volume cargoes (vegetable bulk) are sensitive to rainy conditions”, says APS.

There was a 12.6% decrease in shipments from the soybean complex (grains and meal), which was largely offset by a 46.8% increase in sugar shipments.

Shipments in the month fell by 1.7% compared to February 2025. This year totaled 9.33 million tons, versus 9.5 million a year earlier. Unloading operations increased by 5.9%, reaching 3.84 million tons this February, compared to 3.62 million in the same month last year.

Cumulative movement

Year-to-date, a record was also set in container handling. A total of 919,200 TEU were handled, a 2.6% increase compared to last year and the best historical mark for the first two months of the year.

Total tonnage reached 25.9 million in the first two months of 2026, compared to 24.8 million in the previous year. Shipments grew by 4.5%, surpassing 18 million tons, compared to 17.2 million last year. Unloading operations, supported by the strong performance of liquid bulk transportation (which grew 11.8% compared to the first two months of 2025 and also set a record at 3.2 million tons), were 5% higher than in 2025, totaling 7.9 million tons.