Port of Santos takes the lead in container movement in Latin America
Brazil's largest port complex climbs six positions in the Lloyd's List rankings
The Port of Santos (SP) has taken the lead among Latin American complexes in the Lloyd's List ranking, which defines the main port complexes for container handling. According to the Port Authority of Santos (APS), in the latest update of the list, the port surpassed the Colon terminals on the Panama Canal and other international giants, such as the ports of Valencia (Spain), Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates), Piraeus (Greece), and Dalian (China).
The only Brazilian port among the 100 largest in the world, the Santos port complex rose six positions compared to the previous list, jumping from 43rd to 37th place.
According to APS, the data refers to 2024, when the complex handled 5.4 million TEU (standard 20-foot container size), a growth of 14.7% compared to 2023 (4.7 million TEU).
"The Port of Santos was already the largest port complex in Latin America. Now its leadership in container shipping is confirmed, solidifying the complex as an international benchmark for efficiency and management," said Anderson Pomini, president of the Santos Port Authority (APS).
The ranking took into account data recorded in 2024, when the Port of Santos grew container throughput by more than 17%. Photo: Disclosure/APS
Pomini recalled the Tecon Santos 10 concession project, a mega container and general cargo terminal planned for construction on the right bank of the Port of Santos. The future project will increase the Santos complex's container capacity by 50%.
The estimated investment is R$6.45 billion, with the capacity to move up to 3.5 million TEUs — a standard unit equivalent to a 20-foot container — per year.
The project includes four berths, capable of receiving the largest ships in operation in the world, and is expected to generate more than 3,000 direct jobs, from the construction phase to the start of operations.
Growth
In July of this year, container movement at the Port of Santos broke a new historical record, with 534.6 thousand TEU, representing an increase of 8.5% compared to the same period in 2024.
In the year to date, there were 3.3 million TEU, 7.9% more compared to the first seven months of the previous year.
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