Our Terminal

In 2008, APM Terminals took over operational and management responsibility for Ceará Terminal Operator at the Port of Pecém. Located 55 km from Ceará’s state capital of Fortaleza in North-eastern Brazil, the terminal now operates as APM Terminals Pecém. The terminal operates 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. 

Public and private investments are being used to turn Pecém into the main hub for North and Northeast Brazil. It is the closest Brazilian terminal to both the USA and Europe. Transit times between Pecém and New York or Algeciras are as short as six days. While transit times to China and South Korea are less than 29 days. It is also a strategic hub for to distributing containers throughout the East Coast of South America via feeders from the Americas and Asia via the Panama Canal. Pecém has the best port and hinterland infrastructure connectivity in the region. 

Equipment & Facilities

APM Terminals Pecém is one of just a few Brazilian terminals capable of handling ultra large container vessels (ULCVs) of up to 400 meters in length and 56 meters in width, with a 15.3-meter draft, which are now able to pass through the Panama Canal locks following a widening project in 2016. Its three STS cranes are among the largest in Brazil with a 22-containers wide reach, and were part of USD $25 million infrastructure improvement investment made by APM Terminals, which also included reach stackers and terminal tractors.

• Annual capacity: 556,793 TEU
• Berths: 2 
• Quay: 760 meters
• Draft: 15.3m
• Total Area: 380,000 m²
• Warehouse: 16,250 m²
• Reefer Plugs: 1,388
• Ship-to-Shore Cranes: 3 (22 container outreach)
• Reach stackers:14
• On-dock rail track: 700m
• Rail calls per day: 2
• Scanners: 2

Efficiency

APM Terminals Pecém offers one of the highest operational performance indexes in the market with consistent, reliable 70 BMPH (berth moves per hour) and more than 34 moves per hour per crane. The company continues to invest in end-user services, employee training, fleet and equipment modernization and state of art systems to guarantee customer satisfaction. 

To ensure minimum down time, the terminal operates has a team of more than 30 professional to run its own maintenance program, with a Reach Stacker workshop inside the terminal and an additional external workshop.

Main imports and exports

Located close to the fruit growing area of the northeast of Brazil, the terminal is ideally located for the export of watermelons, melons, grapes, and mangoes. Other fruits and perishables shipped from Pecém include limes, lemons, and almonds, with around 40 percent destined for the Netherlands and 29 percent for the United Kingdom.

In addition to fruit, Pecém also exports significant volumes of construction materials, shoes, and plastics. Imports are mostly from iron and heavy industrial products.

Growth

The terminal set a new record in 2017, handling more than 200,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units). This was a 19% growth in container volume compared with the same period in 2016. Export growth was driven by increased shipments of refrigerated fruits (mainly melons and mangoes), which accounted for 20% of the volume, as well as growth in exports of construction products, plastics and shoes. Imports of iron and other heavy industry products also increased.