Portos do Paraná took the national lead in vehicle throughput among Brazilian ports in September, with expectations of maintaining the position in the coming months. In total, 24,200 vehicles were loaded and unloaded during the month. From January to September, the port handled 131,400 vehicles, surpassing the total recorded for the entire year of 2025, when 106,700 units were accounted for.
With the entry of new brands into the national market, throughput also continues to rise in October. On Monday (26), the vessel Grande Istanbul arrived in Paranaguá to perform the largest unloading of electric and hybrid vehicles in the port's history, with 6,030 units expected.
The growth accompanies the infrastructure investments made over the last seven years by Portos do Paraná. "In 2020, we tendered a new vehicle terminal, even when the port did not show demand. We were preparing, and that demand came," says Luiz Fernando Garcia, CEO of Portos do Paraná.
The Grande Istanbul is the third vessel to dock in Paranaguá in a week with a significant cargo of vehicles. Between the 21st and 25th, two other vessels had already unloaded 8,100 vehicles, totaling 14,000 units in the period. Two more vessels from Asia, with over 9,000 automobiles, are expected to dock by the 31st.
With the forecast of increased throughput in October, Portos do Paraná projects to surpass, still in 2026, the record of 135,200 vehicles recorded in 2019, considering import and export operations. The expectation is that the year will end with the best result of the last decade for this type of cargo.
"We should close the month with between 40,000 and 45,000 vehicles handled, which would be a historic record for Paranaguá, and close the year with approximately 200,000 vehicles handled," adds Flavio de Faria Rufino, Port Director at Ascensus, a port operator active in Paranaguá.
"Without the structure created under this administration for the implementation of a highly specialized vehicle terminal and extremely qualified workforce, we would not be as attractive a port for the automotive sector as we are today," explains Garcia.
Since August, new brands have started using the Port of Paranaguá to import vehicles, such as Omoda, Jaecoo, GWM, Haval, and Jetour. The arrival of these automakers contributes to the increase in operations. Audi, Renault, Fiat, GM, Volkswagen, and Geely have been operating at the Paraná port for a longer time.
"Before, the Port had two or three automakers that worked dedicatedly. Today, there are several brands, especially with the Asian ones, which see Paraná as an extremely suitable logistical option," details Garcia. "We are receiving three [Ro-Ro] vessels almost simultaneously, which is not common, but we managed to accommodate all of them so that these operations proceed with quality," he adds.
Exports of rolling cargo recorded the highest monthly volume of the year in September, with 6,397 vehicles sent abroad. In imports, Paranaguá led nationally, with 17,800 vehicles unloaded.
The operations occurred in about 20 calls by Ro-Ro (Roll-on/Roll-off) vessels, intended for vehicle transport, and ConRo, hybrid vessels that transport vehicles and containers.
In tonnage, an indicator used by Comex Stat, the Federal Government system that gathers foreign trade data, the Port of Paranaguá handled 40,400 tons of vehicles in September. Of this volume, 35,700 tons corresponded to imports, equivalent to 49.6% of the national total, while 4,700 tons were related to exports. The result represents almost double the throughput of the Port of Vitória, which ranked second nationally, with 23,600 tons.
"Being a leader is not what matters. What matters is offering the market an extremely suitable logistical option and an attractive operational condition, so that, increasingly, Paraná reflects good infrastructure in the country," ponders Luiz Fernando Garcia.
China was the main origin of imported vehicles in September, with 28,000 tons, equivalent to 77% of the total. Hong Kong came in second, with 4,400 tons (12%), followed by Mexico, with 3,000 tons (8.3%).
According to Comex Stat data, from January to September, vehicle imports totaled 142,800 tons, while exports totaled 34,600 tons. These results place the Port of Paranaguá in second place nationally in both trade flows, considering tonnage.
China also led the origin of imported vehicles in the year-to-date accumulation, with 95,500 tons, equivalent to 66.9% of the total. Mexico occupied the second position, with 35,600 tons (24.9%), followed by Hong Kong, with 4,400 tons (3.1%). Germany came in fourth, with 2,900 tons, corresponding to 2.1% of imports.
In addition to automobiles and light commercial vehicles, Portos do Paraná handles heavy vehicles, such as trucks, buses, and tractors, in import and export operations. Berth 219 is exclusive for Ro-Ro (Roll-on/Roll-off) vessels, while Berth 215 has a multipurpose structure and can also receive this type of cargo.
The operation has two yards managed by Ascensus, located near the pier, next to the container terminal. Together, the areas total 200,000 square meters and have the capacity to handle up to 40,000 vehicles per month.
The Port of Paranaguá also stands out for its low rate of damage in vehicle handling. The result is attributed to the work of trained and qualified teams to perform this type of operation efficiently.
In operations with a large volume of vehicles, about 300 professionals work in different shifts. "We can move approximately 270 vehicles per hour, while the average for other terminals is around 100 to 150 per hour. This shows our capacity and the extent of the productivity we have here," adds Rufino.
