By Brazil Stock Guide – Brazil’s Port of Santos, Latin America’s largest port complex, handled a record 12.7 million metric tons of cargo in January 2026, according to data released Thursday (19) by the port authority.
The figure marks a 9.5% increase from January 2025, when volumes reached 11.6 million tons, and stands 6.8% above the previous January record set in 2024 at 11.9 million tons.
Container throughput also reached a historic high for the month. The port handled 467,223 TEU, up 1.4% from 460,786 TEU recorded in January 2024.
January is typically the slowest month of the year due to seasonal and market factors. Still, the port authority said in a statement that “2026 began with historic marks.”
Agribusiness exports were the main driver of growth. Sugar shipments rose 36.8% year over year to 1.57 million tons, reversing a downward trend seen in 2025. The soybean complex, including beans and meal, surged 79.6% from a year earlier to 1.56 million tons, supported by product availability and firm external demand.
Vessel calls totaled 446 in January, a 2.5% increase from 435 in the same month of 2025.
Santos’ share of Brazil’s overall trade flow edged down slightly compared with the end of 2025, slipping from 29.6% to 29.5%.
Port authority President Anderson Pomini said the federal government had approved an expansion of the port area. “We have just received from President Lula’s government approval for the expansion of the Port of Santos area, which will ensure that records continue to be broken,” he said.