Port of Pecém records 37% increase in container movement

Between January and August of this year, the Ceará terminal registered 444,999 TEUs with four regular container routes

The Port of Pecém, in Ceará, handled 444,999 TEUs between January and August 2025, a 37% increase compared to the same period last year. According to the Ministry of Ports and Airports, this performance was driven by the consolidation of four regular container routes: two to Europe, one to the United States, and, since this year, a direct link to Asia, which already accounts for 15% of the total.

The Minister of Ports and Airports, Silvio Costa Filho, emphasized that the result reflects the region's logistics potential. "The Port of Pecém's performance demonstrates the strength of Ceará and the Northeast in foreign trade and reinforces the importance of investing in port infrastructure. With the expansion projects and the arrival of new projects, we will increase Brazil's competitiveness, create jobs, and further open the country to the international market," he stated.

The president of the Pecém Complex, Maximiliano Quintino, also highlighted the contribution of the new route. "By 2025, we will have already reached 444,999 TEUs, a 37% increase over the previous year. The new route to Asia, launched this year, already represents 15% of container movement and has been fundamental to this result," he said.

According to Quintino, with the implementation of Berth 11, the expansion of Pier 2 and the construction of the Utilities Corridor, “the Complex will have greater capacity to serve the production chain and strategic projects, such as the Green Hydrogen Hub, Transnordestina, Supergasbras and Dislub”.

80% of CE's port movement

Over the past three years, Pecém has handled 53 million tons. This figure rose to 16.9 million in 2022, 17.1 million in 2023, and 19 million in 2024. In the first half of 2025, the port handled 9.5 million tons, 6.7% more than in the same period last year. Currently, the port handles almost 80% of Ceará's port traffic, while Fortaleza accounts for just over 20%.

Cabotage accounts for 63% of the volume operated between 2022 and 2025, while long-haul represents 37%. The main cargoes include containers (4 million tons), iron ore (2.5 million tons), and iron and steel products (1.7 million tons).

The Pecém Complex reported that there are no plans for new international routes in 2025, and that official targets for 2026 have not yet been released.