Porto Itapoá has achieved its highest import volume of the year in September 2023, handling a total of 12,891 containers.
This marks the second-highest monthly performance in the port’s history, surpassed only by the record set in March 2021, when 13,129 containers were processed.
The notable surge in imports was attributed to several key supply chains, explained Cássio Schreiner, President of Porto Itapoá: “The end of the year is usually a strong period for imports, especially due to the end-of-year festivities and the industry’s preparations for the year to come.”
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Notably, machinery and its components made up 30 per cent of the total imports, followed by metallurgy and steel at 24 per cent, plastic and plastic products at 23 per cent, and chemical products also at 23 per cent.
China continued to be the primary source of imported products, accounting for 83 per cent of the total imports in September. Schreiner emphasized the advantage of shorter import transit times from Asia: “This is important for importers, as they can have greater certainty about their operations and production deadlines,” he commented.
Chile was the second-largest source at 10 per cent, with India following at 7 per cent.
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In the first half of 2023, Porto Itapoá broke its monthly handling record, processing 99,396 TEU, reflecting a 10 per cent increase compared to July 2022.
The port set monthly handling records twice earlier in the year, in March and May, marking an 18 per cent growth compared to the same period last year.
