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The port sector of the Valparaíso Region showed positive performance in March 2026. This follows a 6.5% growth in the total cargo mobilized and handled, according to data from the National Institute of Statistics (INE).
During the analyzed period, 4.15 million tons were handled in the regional ports and terminals. Compared to the previous month, there was an increase of 0.32 million tons, representing an 8.5% rise.
In the third month of 2026, total embarked cargo reached 1.49 million tons, representing a 4.7% increase compared to the same period last year, equivalent to an additional 0.07 million tons. Compared to February 2026, the variation was positive, with a 14.5% increase.
Cargo embarked for export totaled 1.28 million tons, a figure that reflected a 1.1% decrease compared to March 2025 and a 17.7% increase compared to the immediately preceding month. Meanwhile, embarked cabotage totaled 0.21 million tons, showing a 63% growth compared to the same period last year.
Regarding disembarked cargo, a total of 2.6 million tons were registered, implying a 7.2% increase compared to March 2025. Specifically, disembarkments from abroad totaled 2.5 million tons. Disembarked cabotage mobilized 0.10 million tons, growing 32.1% in the annual comparison.
Handled cargo, corresponding to restows and transshipments, reached 0.06 million tons, representing a 29% increase compared to the same month of the previous year.
Overall, the total cargo movement in March 2026 was 4.15 million tons, compared to 3.90 million registered in the same month of 2025, which is a positive variation of 6.5% over twelve months. In the accumulated year, the variation is 0.2% after mobilizing 12.09 million tons of cargo.
Type of cargo
In the analyzed period, containerized cargo corresponding to foreign trade represented 54.8% of the total, reaching 2.07 million tons. This figure reflected a negative variation of 3.6% compared to the same month of the previous year.
Of the total containerized cargo, 51% was related to exports, equivalent to 1.06 million tons, while the remaining 49% was accounted for by imports, which totaled 1.02 million tons during the period.
The other types of mobilized cargo collectively reached 1.71 million tons, which was equivalent to 45.2% of foreign trade. This figure implied an increase of 14.3%, equal to 0.21 million additional tons compared to March 2025.
Liquid-gaseous bulk cargo amounted to 0.95 million tons, which accounted for 25.1% of total foreign trade, registering a 31.8% increase compared to the same period of the previous year.
Solid bulk cargo, meanwhile, reached 0.50 million tons, corresponding to 13.3% of the total mobilized. This segment showed a decrease of 3.9%, with a reduction of 0.02 million tons compared to March 2025.
In turn, loose or general cargo totaled 0.26 million tons, covering 6.9% of foreign trade and recording a 1.9% growth compared to the same month of the previous year.
Containers
In March 2026, the region's ports mobilized and handled 255,604 TEU, which meant a decrease of 3.6% compared to the same period of the previous year, equivalent to 9,507 fewer TEU.
Compared to the same month of 2025, 40-foot containers registered a negative variation of 5.2%, with a decrease of 6,296 units. In contrast, 20-foot containers showed a growth of 12.4%, adding 3,085 more units.
Regarding the period from January to March 2026, 40-foot containers showed a negative variation of 1.9%, while 20-foot containers registered an increase of 8.4%. In total, the annual accumulated container movement shows a decrease of 0.9%.
