EN 
PT_BR 
Of every two kilograms of chicken meat exported by Brazil in the first quarter of 2026, one left through the Port of Paranaguá, according to data from Comex Stat, a federal government system that gathers data on foreign trade, and the statistics center of Portos do Paraná. In total, the Paraná terminal, which is the largest export corridor for frozen chicken meat in the world, shipped 819,000 tons, which corresponds to 47.81% of Brazilian exports of the product during the period.
Photo: Jonathan Campos/AEN
Compared to the first three months of 2025, the volume of shipments was 15.41% higher. In March alone, the volume shipped exceeded 215,000 tons. The main destinations for Brazilian chicken are China, South Africa, Japan, and the United Arab Emirates.
Beef exports also showed growth in the first quarter of 2026. From January to March of this year, 176,812 tons were shipped, a volume 18% higher than the same period in 2025 (149,462 tons). Shipments through the port of Paraná represented more than 25% of Brazilian exports during the period.
The terminal handles cargo from various parts of the country, including states in the northern region. "The efficiency of operations and the refrigerated container handling infrastructure make the port highly competitive," highlighted the CEO of Portos do Paraná, Luiz Fernando Garcia.
To meet the growing demand, the Paranaguá Container Terminal has the largest reloading area for refrigerated containers (reefers) in South America, with 5,268 outlets. It is also the only port terminal in southern Brazil with a railway branch line.
In the first quarter, the volume of containerized cargo at the Paranaguá terminal totaled 2.5 million tons in 411,000 TEUs, a measure commonly used for containers (a unit equivalent to a 20-foot container, or six meters in length). Of the total handled at the container terminal, 42% are refrigerated goods.
