BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA — The port region of New Orleans, Louisiana, US, was the world’s No. 1 grain and oilseeds export hub in 2023, leading the two major South American hubs, according to a report published by Argentina’s Rosario Grains Exchange.
The Port of New Orleans Region was listed first at 63.4 million tonnes of grains and oilseeds exported, while Santos port in Brazil exported 62.3 million tonnes, followed by Argentina’s Rosario port at 42.4 million, Belém, Brazil, at 38.17 million, and Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, at 26.99 million.
In 2023 the New Orleans region is expected to have shipped more than half of all US agribusiness exports. Shipments represented more than 60% of US soybeans, 78% of corn and 25% of wheat, according to the Exchange, citing US Department of Commerce data.
The port of Santos is the most important in Latin America by commercial volume, the Exchange noted. It accounts for about 29% of the Brazilian trade balance, with its main exported products being soybeans, sugar, orange juice, corn and chemical wood pulp.
After ranking first in 2019, Rosario was second from 2020-22 before severe drought took hold in the country’s main production regions, leading to a collapse of shipped volumes.
“At the same time, the phenomenal performance of the port of Santos in Brazil stands out,” the Exchange said. “In just six years, the total volume shipped doubled, going from 31.1 million tonnes in 2018 to 62.3 million tonnes in 2023, hand in hand with an explosion in Brazilian grain production.”
