The history of the Port of Paranaguá and its current situation

The Port of Paranaguá (PR) is one of the busiest ports in the country, second only to the Port of Santos (SP), in terms of economic relevance. Located in the Bay of Paranaguá, the port allows the maritime export of several products from not only Paraná, but also from several states in the South, Southeast and Midwest regions. That said, the history of the Port of Paranaguá is directly linked to investments that seek to improve the logistics of transporting grain and other cargo in Brazil.

The Port of Paranaguá is part of a port complex that also includes the Port of Antonina (PR), both of which are managed by the state-owned company called Administration of the Ports of Paranaguá and Antonina, APPA. As these ports are being connected to an increasing number of rail and road routes, Paraná is becoming one of the main logistics hubs in Latin America.

We have prepared an article with everything about the history of the Port of Paranaguá, including the main exported products and the current investment situation. Check out!

The history of the Port of Paranaguá

First, let's understand how the history of the Port of Paranaguá began.

In fact, the first port structures in the region were built by private initiative in 1872. From early on, its location was recognized as a strategic point. Proof of this is that the construction of the first railroad in the state, the Paranaguá-Curitiba, began right there in 1885. 

It was only in 1917 that its administration began to be administered by the government of Paraná. During the 1920s, the main exported product was wood, a period known as the Wood Export Cycle. It was on March 17, 1935 that the port was officially opened under the name of Porto Dom Pedro II, a date marked by the arrival of the ship Almirante Saldanha.

Over the years, the port has undergone several expansions, and in 1963 it reached the mark of 1 million tons of cargo handled. In 1971, APPA was created, which jointly managed the Port of Paranaguá and the Port of Antonina. Since then, the port has grown a lot in size and capacity to handle products for import and export, and currently, the Port of Paranaguá is known as the largest bulk port in Latin America. 

Movement of the Port of Paranaguá

Cargo that passes through the Port of Paranaguá is not limited to only those produced in the state of Paraná. In fact, a large part of the production of Mato Grosso do Sul, Mato Grosso, Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul, Minas Gerais, São Paulo and even Paraguay is shipped to the port for maritime export. 

In 2021 alone, the Ports of Paraná handled around 57.5 million tons of cargo, including imports and exports, with the Port of Paranaguá, by far, the protagonist, moving about 56 million tons.

Several transport routes reach the port, such as the BR 277, PR 401, PR 411, PR 410 and PR 412 highways. In addition to the road modal, many railroads have access to Paranaguá, among the main ones are Ferroeste, the Malha Sul and the Curitiba-Paranaguá Railroad.

Another very important service that integrates the infrastructure of the Port of Paranaguá is the supply of fuel for maritime vehicles. In fact, in the entire southern region of the country, the Port of Paranaguá and the Port of Rio Grande (RS) are the only ones that supply bunker oil, which attracts many vessels to the area. According to APPA, in 2021, 714 ships supplied at the Port of Paranaguá, totaling just over 364 thousand tons of fuel.

The APPA website allows you to consult the status of vessels associated with the port. Currently, there are 14 ships moored at the pier, 46 of which are close to the port territory waiting to dock. In addition, 69 vessels are expected to arrive at the port in the coming days.

What does the Port of Paranaguá export?

The Port of Paranaguá is the largest exporter of agricultural products in the country. Despite corn representing a large share of exports (2.5 million tons), soy is the main product. In 2020, around 14.2 million tons of soybeans were transported abroad. Soybean meal reached the mark of 5.4 million tons.

In 2021, the Port of Paranaguá was the national leader in terms of soybean oil exports: around 1.2 million tons were shipped, representing more than 70% of all vegetable oil exports in the country. Compared to the previous year, there was an increase of 34%.

Another significant chapter in the history of the Port of Paranaguá was the expansion of the Paranaguá Container Terminal (TCP) in 2019, as this earned it the status of the largest container terminal in Brazil. Through it, products such as frozen meats, wood and cellulose are exported. Here, the highlight goes to poultry meat, which, in 2021, generated around US$ 3.1 billion, placing the port in the national leadership of exports of this product.

Current situation

The history of the Port of Paranaguá is far from being a thing of the past. There are many investments aimed at expanding the logistics capacity of the place.

The governor of the state of Paraná, Carlos Massa Ratinho Júnior, presented, in January, new projects aimed at improving the Port of Paranaguá. One of them is the investment of R$ 500 million in the expansion of the East Wharf, aiming to increase the loading and unloading capacity of grain transported by trains. 

Another project seeks to increase Ferroeste's rail network, connecting the municipality of Maracaju (MS) to Paranaguá, which will facilitate the flow of grains and proteins to the coast.

Another good news for the Port of Paranaguá is that terminals, such as PAR 03 and PAR 09, have gained national investment priority. This means that, soon, auctions will be held to raise funds for the expansion of these leases. Both terminals, if contemplated by investments, could greatly improve the handling and storage capacity of solid mineral bulk, such as fertilizers, for example.

Conclusion

It was possible to perceive that the history of the Port of Paranaguá is very relevant to understand the economic development of the country. As it plays a fundamental role in the export of various products, such as soy and chicken meat, this port should not be underestimated. 

On the contrary, it is very important to direct investments towards the expansion and modernization of its port structures. In addition, it is equally essential to improve transport routes between the country's producing areas and the Port of Paranaguá to more quickly overcome the various logistical challenges in Brazil.