This solution is strategic for customers who import small volumes
Between January and July 2026, TCP, the company that manages the Paranaguá Container Terminal, received 851 containers of less-than-container-load (LCL) cargo.
The LCL model is a maritime transport solution in which different shipments from various importers are consolidated into a single container. In addition to maximizing the use of available space, this type of operation reduces costs and red tape for customers who want to import cargo volumes that do not fill an entire container.
“LCL container operations at TCP are more streamlined and less bureaucratic thanks to Brazil’s largest warehouse in a primary zone, which spans over 9,000 square meters. The release of LCL cargo takes, on average, just 48 hours, and for customers in Curitiba and the metropolitan area, the Terminal also offers direct delivery to the customer’s doorstep,” explains Fabio Mattos, commercial manager at TCP.
The number of LCL container shipments delivered to each customer by TCP reached 9,034 shipments in the first seven months of 2026. The majority of goods imported via this method were plastics and plastic products, accounting for approximately 46% of the shipments handled by TCP.
“The LCL container is positioned at the dock of TCP’s bonded warehouse, where the seal is removed, the container is opened, and the cargo is inspected. Subsequently, the shipments are removed, sorted by customer, and then palletized and packaged, thus completing the unloading process,” explains Washington Renan Bohnn, logistics operations manager at TCP.
When the port terminal does not have an import bonded warehouse, the receiving and unloading of LCL containers must be carried out in an external bonded facility, requiring the importer to request the issuance of a Customs Transit Declaration (DTA) or a Container Transit Declaration (DTC) to transfer the unit, making the process more time-consuming, bureaucratic, and generating additional costs for customers.
Throughout 2025, TCP received a total of 1,508 LCL containers for import, while the number of delivery processes carried out was 16,405.
