The Port of Paranaguá is one of the main
port
A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Hamburg, Manch ...
s of
Brazil
Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
and
Latin America
Latin America is the cultural region of the Americas where Romance languages are predominantly spoken, primarily Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese. Latin America is defined according to cultural identity, not geogr ...
. It is in the city of
Paranaguá
Paranaguá (Tupi language, Tupi, 'Great Round Sea') is a city in the state of Paraná (state), Paraná in Brazil. Founded in 1648, it is Paraná's oldest city. It is known for the Port of Paranaguá, which serves as both the sea link for Curitiba, ...
, in the Brazilian state of
Paraná, is the second largest port of Brazil in tonnage and the third in container shipping. It is a main exporting port of agricultural products in Brazil, especially
soybean
The soybean, soy bean, or soya bean (''Glycine max'') is a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible bean. Soy is a staple crop, the world's most grown legume, and an important animal feed.
Soy is a key source o ...
s and
soybean meal
Soybean meal is used in food and animal feeds, principally as a protein supplement, but also as a source of metabolizable energy. Typically 1 bushel (i.e. 60 lbs. or 27.2 kg) of soybeans yields 48 lbs. (21.8 kg) of soybean meal. Mos ...
.
Data
The port was established in 1872, as a private-owned wharf. In 1917, the State of Paraná took control of its concession, and began the works to expand the port. The new port opened in 1935. In 1947, a state organism, Administração dos Portos de Paranaguá (APP) was founded for overseeing its operation. In 1971, the APP started to also manage the
Port of Antonina, becoming APPA (Administração dos Portos de Paranaguá e Antonina).
The land access system to the port is made up of
BR-277, PR-401, PR-411, PR-410 and PR-412. Rail access is through the Sul-Atlântico S/A railway, Red Sur, of the former Regional Superintendency Curitiba (SR 5), from Rede Ferroviária Federal SA (RFFSA). The Paranaguá container terminal is the only one in southern Brazil that has direct rail access.
The Port of Paranaguá has its area of influence formed by the states of Mato Grosso do Sul, Mato Grosso, Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul, Paraná, Paraguay, Minas Gerais and part of São Paulo.
In 1935, Paranaguá was on its way to export
mate and coffee and import manufactured goods from Europe. The port, at just , handled 91,500 tons in its first year. The same as a single ship embarked, in 2020, in the largest soybean meal operation in the port of Paraná. With more than 50 million tons handled in the year, Paranaguá turned 85 years old handling 500 times more loads today than it operated at the time of its foundation.
Since the arrival of the first foreign ship, the ''English Somme'', the size and number of ships docking in the port have changed. In the 1930s, around 400 small boats and personal watercraft moored each year. Today they number more than 2,000, are more than long and wide.
Maritime traffic grew as dredging and infrastructure improvements were made. The first dredging in the Port of Paranaguá dates from 1936, but it was not until 1948 that the depth was increased along the wharf and the evolution basin.
In eight decades, the types of products handled have been transforming the port of Paraná. In 1965, for example, Paranaguá was the world's largest coffee exporter. With the end of the product cycle, in the 1970s, shipments of corn and timber arrived. Porto has already exported loads such as crystallized
menthol
Menthol is an organic compound, specifically a Monoterpene, monoterpenoid, that occurs naturally in the oils of several plants in the Mentha, mint family, such as Mentha arvensis, corn mint and peppermint. It is a white or clear waxy crystallin ...
, which was the basis for the production of toothpaste and mint. They were loaded onto ships in barrels and boxes; it already had the shipment of soy lecithin, sassafras oil, broom handles and even a square of guatambu (ivory wood), which was exported to Europe to make furniture legs, as well as noble woods such as pine and cinnamon.
Currently, Paranaguá is the first port in Brazil in the export of soy flour and vegetable oil, the second in the export of sugar, paper (coil), frozen products, alcohol and vehicles, and the third in the shipment of soy and wood. The port of Paraná is also a leader in the import of fertilizers and represents 34% of all fertilizer imports in the country.
In 2020, it presented more than 57 million tons of product movement. With 14.2 million tons of soybeans exported, 5.4 million tons of soybean meal and 2.5 million tons of corn.
The Port of Paranaguá is the largest bulk port in Latin America. It is also the third largest container port in Brazil, only surpassed by Itajaí and Santos. It is the largest port in Brazil for the export of grains. It exports and imports grains, fertilizers, containers, liquids, automobiles, wood, paper, salt, and sugar, among others. Most of the ships from other countries are from the United States, China, Japan and South Korea.
Porto de Paranaguá faz 85 anos com evolução na movimentação
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References
External links
APPA homepage
{{DEFAULTSORT:Port of Paranagua
Ports and harbours of Brazil
Buildings and structures in Paraná (state)