Santos or Paranaguá: which port should I buy FOB?

Both are deep-water grain ports in the south-east and south, and in 2025 they cleared 45.3% of Brazil's soybeans and 48.1% of its corn between them. Santos is the larger (34.57 Mt of soybeans and 14.68 Mt of corn in 2025) and takes ships up to 340 m at 14.50 m maximum draft; Paranaguá's export corridor runs at a nominal 9,000 t/h across 10 shiploaders with 13.10-13.30 m at the grain berths. The port follows the seller's origin and the line-up, so name both as acceptable unless your discharge port or ship size rules one out.

When do Brazilian soybeans and corn ship?

Soybeans from March to July, when national exports run above 12 Mt a month (15.27 Mt in April 2025 and 16.75 Mt in April 2026). Corn is mostly the second (safrinha) crop and ships from July or August to January; 2025 peaked at 7.56 Mt in September. A corn buyer looking for a first-half shipment from Santos or Paranaguá is buying outside the main window.

What quality terms apply?

ANEC Contract 41 for soybean FOB parcels: 18.5% oil basis, 14.0% maximum moisture, foreign matter 1.0% basis and 2.0% maximum, damaged 8.0% basis and 8.5% maximum, with no protein basis. ANEC Contract 43 for yellow maize: 14.5% maximum moisture, aflatoxin 20 ppb maximum, foreign matter 1.5%, broken 3.0% and damaged 5.0% maximum, with classification to MAPA Normative Instruction 60/2011. A protein guarantee on soybeans has to be negotiated on top of ANEC 41.

What size of ship loads there?

On 1 October 2026 the Paranaguá line-up showed ships of about 225-230 m (Kamsarmax/Panamax size) loading 60,000-77,000 t, and grain ships at Santos were loading 60,100-80,000 t. Paranaguá has 13.30 m at the channel and berths 212/213; Santos has 13.50 m in the channel at low tide and 12.80-14.20 m at its grain berths. Final draft and stem size are confirmed with the terminal for each nomination.

How large are the 2025/26 crop and exports expected to be?

Conab's 12th survey (15 September 2026) puts 2025/26 soybean production at 180.4 Mt with exports of 116.2 Mt, and corn production at 144.0 Mt (112.1 Mt second crop) with exports of 43.9 Mt. Its first 2026/27 outlook is 181.64 Mt of soybeans and 148 Mt of corn.

Americas · Brazil

Brazil Corn & Soybean Exports, FOB Santos and Paranaguá

108.18 Mt of soybeans and 40.95 Mt of corn exported in 2025, with Santos and Paranaguá clearing 45.3% of the soybeans and 48.1% of the corn

Brazil is the soybean exporter of reference and a large corn exporter, and two southern ports carry close to half of both trades. Brazil's 2025 soybean exports (NCM 1201.90.00) were 108.18 million t worth USD 43.53 billion, an average of USD 402/t. Santos cleared 34.57 million t (32.0%) at USD 400/t and Paranaguá 14.45 million t (13.4%) at USD 409/t, 45.3% together. Corn exports (NCM 1005.90.10) were 40.95 million t at USD 206/t, with Santos at 14.68 million t (35.8%) and Paranaguá at 5.03 million t (12.3%), 48.1% together. ANEC's Cargonave line-up count for 2025 is close: 108,680,007 t of soybeans and 41,590,327 t of maize. In January to August 2026 soybean exports reached 92.79 million t at USD 425/t, with Santos at 31.93 million t (34.4%) and Paranaguá at 12.38 million t (13.3%); corn reached 14.49 million t, Santos 3.92 million t (27.0%) and Paranaguá 1.05 million t (7.2%). Port figures are by customs office (URF), a close proxy for the loading port. The northern ports (Arco Norte: Belém, São Luís, Manaus, Santarém and Santana) are the competing route: they cleared 32.3% of soybeans in 2025 and 34.3% in January to August 2026, and 40.6% and 49.0% of corn. The calendar is fixed by the crops. Soybeans run above 12 million t a month nationally from March to July (15.27 million t in April 2025, 16.75 million t in April 2026). Corn is the second-crop (safrinha) trade, shipped from July or August to January, with 2025 peaking at 7.56 million t in September. Conab's 12th survey of the 2025/26 crop (15 September 2026) puts soybean production at 180.4 million t and exports at 116.2 million t, and corn production at 144.0 million t (112.1 million t second crop) with exports of 43.9 million t; its first 2026/27 outlook is 181.64 million t of soybeans and 148 million t of corn.

The destinations differ. In 2025 China took 79.0% of Brazil's soybeans, followed by Spain 3.7%, Thailand 3.2%, Türkiye 1.7%, Pakistan 1.4%, Vietnam 1.1% and Mexico 1.1%. Corn went to Egypt 18.7%, Vietnam 10.4%, China 4.5%, Morocco 4.4%, Algeria 3.7%, Spain 3.3% and Bangladesh 3.3%. Paranaguá's Corredor de Exportação has a nominal 9,000 t/h across 10 shiploaders and 1,775,000 t of static storage, with 13.30 m at the channel and berths 212/213 and 13.10 m at berth 214. Santos has 13.50 m in the channel at low tide and 14.50 m at high tide, takes ships up to 340 m at a maximum draft of 14.50 m, and serves vegetable solid bulk from 14 of its 60 berths, the grain berths (ARM 38/39, TGG, TEG, TEAG, Outeirinhos 3 and ARM 16/17/19) running 12.80 to 14.20 m at low tide. The line-ups on 1 October 2026 showed ships of about 225-230 m (Kamsarmax/Panamax size) loading 60,000-77,000 t at Paranaguá, and grain ships at Santos loading 60,100-80,000 t. Soybean FOB parcels trade on ANEC 41 (18.5% oil basis, 14.0% maximum moisture, foreign matter 1.0% basis and 2.0% maximum, damaged 8.0% basis and 8.5% maximum, no protein basis) and yellow maize on ANEC 43 (14.5% maximum moisture, aflatoxin 20 ppb maximum, foreign matter 1.5%, broken 3.0% and damaged 5.0% maximum, classified to MAPA IN 60/2011). CBIL is a commodity brokerage company and brokers Brazilian soybeans and corn FOB Santos or Paranaguá, or CFR the buyer's port, against the ANEC contract, independent inspection at load and a named seller; the freight is quoted alongside through LaycanDesk. Send the product, quantity, shipment month, discharge port and payment terms.

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Also on this lane: Feed corn (yellow maize)

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The market in figures

Soybean exports, 2025 (NCM 1201.90.00): 108.18 Mt · USD 43.53 bn · USD 402/t average
Santos and Paranaguá, soybeans 2025: Santos 34.57 Mt (32.0%) · Paranaguá 14.45 Mt (13.4%) · together 45.3%
Corn exports, 2025 (NCM 1005.90.10): 40.95 Mt · USD 206/t · Santos 14.68 Mt (35.8%) · Paranaguá 5.03 Mt (12.3%)
January-August 2026: Soybeans 92.79 Mt (Santos 34.4%, Paranaguá 13.3%) · corn 14.49 Mt (Santos 27.0%, Paranaguá 7.2%)
Season: Soybeans above 12 Mt a month March-July · corn (safrinha) July/August-January, 2025 peak 7.56 Mt in September
Conab 2025/26 (12th survey, 15 Sep 2026): Soybeans 180.4 Mt produced, 116.2 Mt exported · corn 144.0 Mt produced, 43.9 Mt exported
Ships at the berth, 1 Oct 2026: About 225-230 m loading 60,000-77,000 t (Paranaguá) · 60,100-80,000 t (Santos)

Landed values are the importing country's declared CIF, not CBIL prices.

Questions buyers ask

Santos or Paranaguá: which port should I buy FOB?: Both are deep-water grain ports in the south-east and south, and in 2025 they cleared 45.3% of Brazil's soybeans and 48.1% of its corn between them. Santos is the larger (34.57 Mt of soybeans and 14.68 Mt of corn in 2025) and takes ships up to 340 m at 14.50 m maximum draft; Paranaguá's export corridor runs at a nominal 9,000 t/h across 10 shiploaders with 13.10-13.30 m at the grain berths. The port follows the seller's origin and the line-up, so name both as acceptable unless your discharge port or ship size rules one out.
When do Brazilian soybeans and corn ship?: Soybeans from March to July, when national exports run above 12 Mt a month (15.27 Mt in April 2025 and 16.75 Mt in April 2026). Corn is mostly the second (safrinha) crop and ships from July or August to January; 2025 peaked at 7.56 Mt in September. A corn buyer looking for a first-half shipment from Santos or Paranaguá is buying outside the main window.
What quality terms apply?: ANEC Contract 41 for soybean FOB parcels: 18.5% oil basis, 14.0% maximum moisture, foreign matter 1.0% basis and 2.0% maximum, damaged 8.0% basis and 8.5% maximum, with no protein basis. ANEC Contract 43 for yellow maize: 14.5% maximum moisture, aflatoxin 20 ppb maximum, foreign matter 1.5%, broken 3.0% and damaged 5.0% maximum, with classification to MAPA Normative Instruction 60/2011. A protein guarantee on soybeans has to be negotiated on top of ANEC 41.
What size of ship loads there?: On 1 October 2026 the Paranaguá line-up showed ships of about 225-230 m (Kamsarmax/Panamax size) loading 60,000-77,000 t, and grain ships at Santos were loading 60,100-80,000 t. Paranaguá has 13.30 m at the channel and berths 212/213; Santos has 13.50 m in the channel at low tide and 12.80-14.20 m at its grain berths. Final draft and stem size are confirmed with the terminal for each nomination.
How large are the 2025/26 crop and exports expected to be?: Conab's 12th survey (15 September 2026) puts 2025/26 soybean production at 180.4 Mt with exports of 116.2 Mt, and corn production at 144.0 Mt (112.1 Mt second crop) with exports of 43.9 Mt. Its first 2026/27 outlook is 181.64 Mt of soybeans and 148 Mt of corn.