Ports of Valparaíso Record 5.5% Drop in Cargo During July 2026

The port sector of the Valparaíso Region showed negative performance in July 2026. This followed a 5.5% decline in the total cargo mobilized and handled over twelve months, according to data from the National Institute of Statistics (INE).

During the analyzed period, 4.14 million tons were handled in the regional ports and terminals. Compared to the previous month, there was an increase of 0.13 million tons, implying a growth of 3.3%.

Year-to-date in 2026, total cargo movement reached 28.66 million tons, recording a negative variation of 2.2%, equivalent to 0.63 million tons less than in the same period of 2025.

In the seventh month of 2026, total cargo loaded reached 1.15 million tons, representing a decrease of 12.6% compared to the same timeframe of the previous year, equivalent to 0.17 million tons less. Compared to the previous month, the variation showed a decline of 16.1%.

Outbound cargo totaled 0.97 million tons, a figure that reflected a 5.1% decrease compared to July 2025 and a 12.8% drop compared to June. Meanwhile, loaded cabotage totaled 0.18 million tons, showing a contraction of 38.3% compared to the same period last year.

Regarding unloaded cargo, a total of 2.96 million tons were registered, implying a 1.9% decrease compared to July 2025 and a 14.2% increase in the month-over-month comparison.

Specifically, inbound unloadings totaled 2.82 million tons, recording an annual decline of 6.0%. Unloaded cabotage moved 0.15 million tons, registering an increase of 518.7% in the twelve-month comparison.

Handled cargo, corresponding to restows and transshipments, reached 0.03 million tons, representing a 37.5% decrease compared to the same month of the previous year. Compared to the previous month, it registered a 34.4% drop.

Overall, the total cargo movement in July 2026 was 4.14 million tons, compared to 4.39 million registered in the same month of 2025, which is equivalent to the aforementioned 5.5% contraction over twelve months.

In the analyzed timeframe, containerized cargo corresponding to foreign trade represented 50.9% of the total, reaching 1.93 million tons. This figure reflected a negative variation of 4.9% compared to the same month of the previous year.

Of the total containerized cargo, 44.5% was related to exports, equivalent to 0.86 million tons, while the remaining 55.5% was accounted for by imports, which totaled 1.07 million tons during the period.

Other types of cargo moved collectively reached 1.86 million tons, equivalent to 49.1% of foreign trade. This figure implied a decrease of 6.7%, equal to 0.13 million tons less compared to July 2025. The year-to-date total in this segment reached 12.56 million tons, decreasing by 2.8% compared to 2025.

Liquid-gaseous bulk cargo totaled 1.13 million tons, which accounted for 29.8% of total foreign trade, registering a positive variation of 7.8% compared to the same period of the previous year.

Solid bulk cargo, for its part, reached 0.49 million tons, corresponding to 12.8% of the total moved. This segment showed a decrease of 28.9%, with a drop of 0.20 million tons compared to July 2025.

In turn, loose or general cargo totaled 0.24 million tons, covering 6.4% of foreign trade and recording a decrease of 6.4% compared to the same month of the previous year.

In July 2026, containers mobilized and handled by the region's ports reached 223,288 TEU, which meant a decrease of 10.4% compared to the same period of the previous year, equivalent to 25,995 fewer TEU.

Compared to the same month of 2025, 40-foot containers registered a negative variation of 9.0%, with a drop of 9,968 units. In parallel, 20-foot containers showed a decrease of 21.8%, which meant 6,059 fewer units.

Regarding the year-to-date accumulated figures for 2026, containers reached a total of 1,663,024 TEU, equivalent to a decrease of 2.6%.

In the accumulated breakdown by unit type, 40-foot containers showed a negative variation of 2.8%, while 20-foot containers registered a decrease of 0.5%.