Exporters benefit from optimized logistics, reliability, and lower logistical costs.
In 2024, Brazil ranked first among countries exporting processed (lint) cotton on the international market, and expectations are high for maintaining this performance in the next cycle. According to the Brazilian Cotton Producers Association (Abrapa), the 2023/2024 harvest reached a record 3.68 million tons. In this context, TCP, the company managing the Paranaguá Container Terminal, has stood out as one of the most viable terminals for shipping this commodity.
In 2023, TCP recorded the shipment of 50.1 thousand tons of cotton lint, and by August 2024, volumes had already reached 22 thousand tons, even before the most important period for exporting this product, which runs from October to January, right after the harvest season in the Midwest region.
“Today, Mato Grosso is the country’s largest cotton producer and the main exporter of the commodity through TCP. With the productivity increase in this harvest, we are preparing to handle additional volumes and meet the specific needs of this sector, strengthening our partnership with warehouses in the retro-area and coordinating with the regulatory agencies involved in the export process,” explains Giovanni Guidolim, TCP’s Commercial, Logistics, and Customer Service Manager.
Transported by bulk trucks, cotton from Mato Grosso arrives at Paranaguá, where it is unloaded and then stuffed into containers before heading to TCP for export. This process takes place in warehouses located in the port’s retro area, ensuring better performance, greater operational flexibility, and cost-efficiency, making Paranaguá the best logistical option for exporting cotton.
Another advantage for cotton exporters is the opportunity to make use of return freight, with trucks going back to Mato Grosso carrying fertilizers for upcoming crops. Between January and August 2024, fertilizer imports through Paraná ports reached 6.9 million tons, 14% more than the same period the previous year.
“With the unloading and stuffing operations for cotton in Paranaguá warehouses and a large availability of fertilizers for return freight operations, Paranaguá positions itself as the ideal port in terms of logistical costs and a strategic route for cotton exporters seeking greater operational reliability and profitability,” adds Guidolim.
The Paranaguá Container Terminal also stands out as a port hub on the eastern coast of South America. With 21 maritime services supporting TCP, cotton exporters have greater operational flexibility for shipping their cargo.
TCP’s Shipowners’ Commercial Manager, Carolina Merkle Brown, highlights that “the top five destinations for Brazilian cotton imports are located in Asia, underscoring the strategic importance of this continent for the cotton trade. TCP offers eight weekly sailings connecting the Port of Paranaguá to the Far East, providing greater security, a diversity of regular calls, and transport capacity for this market. This robust frequency ensures efficient and reliable logistics, essential to meet the growing demand and strict deadlines set by Asian importers.”
TCP Completes Investment Package
Between 2022 and 2024, TCP invested R$370 million in infrastructure improvements and new equipment purchases. The acquisition of 11 new RTGs (rubber-tired gantry cranes) and 17 new terminal tractors (TT) has expanded the terminal’s fleet, which now includes 40 RTGs and 69 TTs, ensuring operational capacity to meet increased market demand.
Another highlight is the completion of modernization work on the gates, which are the truck access points to the terminal’s operational yard. With improvements in the weighing system, monitoring, security, and automation of the entry and exit process, access flow has increased by 200%, from 50 to 150 appointments per hour.