APM Terminals Pecém announces record volumes for 2023/24 fruit harvest season

APM Terminals Pecém, the main operator of the Port of Pecém, located in the metropolitan region of Fortaleza, Brazil saw year-on-year growth of 14% for the 2023/2024 harvest period. The last two months of the season saw staggering gains of 29% and 15% in January and February respectively.

Referring to the record volumes already achieved at the end of 2023, Daniel Rose, CEO of APM Terminals Pecém commented, "In 2023, APM Terminals Pecém witnessed a significant year marked by remarkable growth. We achieved a record number of container movements at the end of last year, representing an increase of approximately 14% compared to the previous year. This achievement is also explained by the fact that we have regained a significant portion of the fruit export market in Brazil."

New fruit export service

The fruit export service began last August, involving the movement of containers loaded with fruits (melon, watermelon, mango, and grapes) produced in the states of Bahia, Pernambuco, Rio Grande do Norte, and Ceará – the main region for the production and export of fresh tropical fruits in Brazil.

In August 2023, APM Terminals Pecém surpassed the barrier of 23,000 containers handled in a single month for the first time.

32,000 moves per month exceeded twice

The growth trend continued, achieving 32,058 moves in October and 32,466 in December 2023 when monthly moves exceeded 32,000 containers. In total, last year saw the handling of exactly 283,079 containers - an average of 23,589 per month. Of this total, 53% were coastal movements, and 47% were long-haul. The best annual result ever achieved in the 21 years of APM Terminals' operation at the Port of Pecém.

"The latest results from the Terminal for January (25,612 moves | +29% vs January 2023) and February (20,455 moves | + 15 vs February 2023) reinforce the evolution started in 2023 and confirm the growth trend for 2024. We are excited about the contribution we are making to Brazilian business," concludes Daniel Rose.