Trade with the United States, Mexico, and Canada totaled 270,000 tons in the first quarter of 2026
As attention turns to the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, TCP, the company that manages the Paranaguá Container Terminal, has been expanding its logistics presence in the tournament’s host countries. In 2025, the Terminal handled over 1.1 million tons in import and export operations with North America, consolidating the region as one of the main destinations and origins of goods shipped and unloaded by TCP. The data comes from the Dataliner platform and was compiled by the Terminal’s market intelligence team.
In 2025, the route handled 950,800 tons in exports and 190,500 tons in imports, with a strong presence of cargo related to construction, packaging, agribusiness, industry, and food. Among the main products shipped were wood, paper, and chicken meat.
Even amid a more complex international landscape, marked by new tariffs imposed by the United States, some segments continued to expand their operations via Paranaguá. In the first quarter of 2026, TCP shipped 231,900 tons to North America. Imports, meanwhile, reached 38,000 tons.
According to Fabio Mattos, commercial manager at TCP, “the United States is one of Brazil’s main buyers of beef, and the product’s export industries find in the Terminal the country’s primary shipping corridor for meat and frozen goods. Today, TCP has the largest infrastructure for refrigerated container storage in all of South America, with 5,280 power outlets.”
Beef was a standout in the first quarter, with 35,700 tons exported to the region, a 19% increase compared to the same period in 2025. Exports to the United States alone totaled 31,700 tons of the product—a 26% increase. This performance continues the Terminal’s strong growth momentum, which in 2025 reached a historic record by shipping 1.034 million tons of beef—a 53% increase compared to 2024.
Timber exports remained the dominant force in the Terminal’s shipments to North America, totaling 110,000 tons in the first quarter of 2026, a 12% increase. Widely used in construction, furniture manufacturing, and packaging production, the product finds in TCP one of the main distribution channels for the South and Southeast regions.
“The North American market has very solid consumer demand, especially in the timber and animal protein segments, which Brazil serves with excellence. What has changed with the new landscape is the need for exporters to operate with greater flexibility, redistributing volumes and quickly adjusting their commercial strategy as the international landscape shifts,” says Mattos.
Mexico Takes the Lead and Canada Gains Momentum
One of the most significant changes this quarter was the shift in the destination profile of cargo exported by TCP. Mexico became the terminal’s top destination for exports to North America in the first quarter of 2026, with 130,400 tons handled, ahead of the United States, which received 93,000 tons.
Mexico’s growth was driven primarily by lumber, which totaled 55,000 tons exported to the country—a 33% increase compared to the same period in 2025. Paper and chicken meat also gained ground, with 35,700 tons and 26,700 tons shipped, respectively.
The United States, in turn, remained the main source of TCP imports in the region, sending 30,600 tons to the Terminal during the quarter. Among the main products unloaded were polyethylene, used by the manufacturing industry, and sulfur, which is an input for the fertilizer production chain.
Canada, meanwhile, recorded one of the fastest growth rates, although the volume remains low compared to trade with the United States and Mexico: exports nearly doubled, jumping from 4,200 to 8,100 tons in the quarter. The main highlight was the paper segment, whose exported volume increased fivefold, reaching 3,600 tons. Wood, pork, and beef also saw growth in trade with the country.
To support this trade flow, TCP operates six regular maritime services connecting Paranaguá to the main ports on the Atlantic coast of the United States and Mexico, in addition to a route connecting the Terminal to the Mexican Pacific coast.
“The high number of shipping services, the storage infrastructure, and the logistics integration make all the difference in ensuring that cargo can be shipped quickly and remain competitive even amid changes in the international landscape,” concludes Mattos.
