Northeast ports handle 33 million tons in 2025

Volume was recorded between January and May. The highlights of the period were the ports of Itaqui (MA), Salvador (BA) and Natal (RN)

Port throughput in the Northeast totaled 33.5 million tons between January and May 2025, according to data from the National Waterway Transportation Agency (Antaq). This result confirms the continued growth of the region's ports and highlights the strengthening of local logistics infrastructure. Highlights during the period were the ports of Itaqui (MA), Salvador (BA), and Natal (RN), which experienced growth in various cargo segments.

In Maranhão, the Port of Itaqui recorded a 12.28% increase year-to-date, reversing the 8.4% decline seen in the same period in 2024. The increase was driven by fertilizers (with a 35.69% increase), oil (15.05%), and soybeans (11.05%). According to data from Antaq, these production chains are recovering after a negative performance in the previous year.

The Port of Salvador maintained a positive trend, with 1.52% growth in 2025. Although lower than the 55.98% increase recorded last year, the result reinforces the stability of the terminal, whose operation is largely based on cabotage, responsible for 86.1% of movement. Cargo highlights include reactors, boilers, and machinery, with 39.10% growth, as well as containers (8.74%) and wheat (5.04%).

The largest percentage jump, however, came from the Port of Natal. After a significant 37.2% drop in 2024, the Rio Grande do Norte terminal returned to growth, with a 2.86% increase in the first five months of 2025. This performance was driven by the recovery in tropical fruit exports, especially melons, watermelons, and papayas, which increased 920.69% compared to the same period the previous year. The 2024/2025 harvest totaled 131,500 tons shipped, compared to 46,400 tons in the previous cycle.

According to the Minister of Ports and Airports, Silvio Costa Filho, the data confirms the Northeast's logistics potential and reinforces the importance of maintaining investment in the sector. "The growth in the Northeast's ports confirms the region's logistics potential and the importance of continuing to invest in infrastructure to ensure competitiveness, integration, and job creation," he stated.