Brazil's main port of Santos registered its all-time highest monthly movement of goods in August due to increased exports, mostly sugar and soy, the Port Authority said on Monday.
Latin America's largest port moved 6.36 million tonnes of goods in August, the largest monthly volume in the history of the port and 16 percent more than shipped in August, 2003. Exports were up 23 percent and imports up 1 percent in August.
From January to August, Santos also registered a record of 45.41 million tonnes, up 16.3 percent from the same period last year. Exports in the period were up 22 percent while imports were up 5 percent.
Sugar exports lead the way, up 44 percent at 1.4 million tonnes in August compared with the same month last year. Sugar exports over the first eight months of 2004 were up 35 percent at 6.64 million tonnes, Santos port data showed.
Soybean exports were up 15 percent in August to 532,815 tonnes but up only 2.7 percent at 5.06 million tonnes over the first eight months of the year. Soyameal exports rose 11 percent to 310,562 tonnes in August and up 60 percent from January through August at 2.61 million tonnes.
Ethanol exports reached 82,423 tonnes in August and 592,256 tonnes over the first eight months of 2004. No data was available for ethanol exports last year in Santos' report.