Rio Grande do Sul's Rio Grande Port, in Brazil's South, saw the highest throughput this year in May. The volume of cargo loaded and unloaded in the month was 3.14 million tons, which represented growth of 23% over the same period last year.
The cargo loaded on vessels totaled 2.35 million tons, an increase of 33%, and cargo arriving reached 788,400, 0.7% more than in May 2008.
According to figures disclosed by a spokesperson for the port, this was the second highest throughput in the history of the port, second only to July 2007, when the movement totaled 3.16 million tons.
In May, there was expansion of cargo throughput in all sectors. In liquid bulk, the throughput was 391,100 tons, growth of 36.2%, followed by solid bulk, with 2.15 million, growth of 23.9%, followed by cargo in general, with 598,250 tons, 13.6% more than in May last year.
Shipment of agricultural bulk also reached the highest monthly throughput this year, at 1.66 million tons. Soy in grain was the product most shipped, with 1.3 million tons, which presented growth of 54.9% over May 2008; in second place came wheat, with 93,860 tons, presenting the greatest growth, 197.6%.
Other products that also grew were rice (+38.3%) and soy oil (+147.8%). In the case of soy chaff, there was a reduction of 28.4%.
The largest throughput in terms of products arriving at the port was also for agricultural bulk, which posted growth of 32% and 156,490 tons. The largest volume of products arriving was soy, with 94,490 tons, an increase of 38.8%. Rice and wheat, which had not been shipped in through the port in May last year, had a good performance, with 6,450 tons and 23,250 tons, respectively.
The container throughput in May, when compared to the same period in 2008, also posted growth, rising 23.2%, reaching the highest monthly volume for the year for this kind of cargo, with 54,630 TEUs (twenty foot equivalent units).
Anba