Wilson Sons: Tecon Rio Grande grows 44% in July

Wilson Sons recorded growth of 44% at Tecon Rio Grande (RS) in July compared to the same period in 2022, totaling 49,1 thousand TEUs (unit equivalent to a 20-foot container).

In exports, there was an increase of 83%, with more ship calls and a greater volume of products such as tobacco and resins. Imports grew (38%) due to the increased reliability of shipowners' scales and larger volumes of chemicals and resins. With the normalization of bottlenecks caused by the pandemic in global maritime transport, exporters are benefiting from lower freight costs and more regular services, facilitating increased volumes. The growth of agriculture in Brazil also favors terminals such as Tecon Rio Grande.

Transshipment and removal also grew (38%) in July at Tecon Rio Grande, mainly due to the increase in cargo transshipment to/from the markets on the East Coast of the United States and the West Coast of South America. Inland navigation showed an increase of 32% with larger volumes of resins.

“The growth in our movement is largely driven by the increase in exports, but also in imports and inland navigation. One of the main reasons is the significant recovery in the market share of cargo in Rio Grande do Sul. The gradual resumption of call reliability also led to a reduction in call cancellations and an improvement in congestion in foreign ports. In July, cancellations reduced by 82% and, in the year, by 76%. Furthermore, we are repositioning more empty containers, which also allows us to carry out containerization of cargo such as tobacco, wood, rice, among others,” said Rodrigo Velho, commercial director of Tecon Rio Grande.

The executive highlights among export products, tobacco, which in July increased by 153%, and 20% in the year. Other significant results in July were rice, with growth of 168% (66% in the year); pork, with 140% (62% in the year); wood, with 95% (63% in the year); resins, with 86% (26% in the year); and furniture, with 44% (8% in the year). “This scenario of increased stopovers allows us a greater number of transshipments, which in the year were already 57 more stopovers than in the same period of 2022. The new line to Northern Europe also helped to leverage this performance, giving greater capacity and shorter transit time for the Rio Grande do Sul market”, he concluded.

Wilson Sons, in the total movement of containers, including Tecon Rio Grande and Tecon Salvador, registered an increase of 22% in July compared to the same period in 2022. The company handled 83,3 thousand TEUs, against 68,2 thousand TEUs in July last year.

Tecon Salvador, in turn, handled 34,3 thousand TEUs in July, an increase of 0,5% compared to the volume in the same month last year, with exports growing 6% (volumes of fruits and ores increased). At the Bahian terminal, transshipment and removal increased by 48%, mainly due to the increase in transshipment of cargo from Saudi Arabia, Morocco and the port of Vitória, as well as volumes destined for China, Argentina and the port of Itapoá (SC ).

Of the total volume recorded last month, 63,1 thousand were full units, 27% above the same period in 2022, while empty containers totaled 20,2 thousand TEUs, an increase of 9% on the same basis of comparison.

In the first seven months of the year, the company's operational data is also robust. 573,8 thousand TEUs were handled at Tecon Rio Grande and Tecon Salvador, an increase of 9% compared to the aggregate volumes reported at the two terminals from January to July 2022.

Another highlight of the operational data last month was the Wilson Sons tugboat division. 5.035 port maneuvers were carried out in the period, an increase of 10% compared to July 2022. Maneuvers increased, mainly due to the increase in the number of ships transporting containerized cargo, iron ore, grains and oil.