Brazil’s Northern Arc Reshapes Agribusiness Exports with 57% Growth

Brazil’s Northern Arc, a key route for agribusiness exports, has seen a significant transformation over the past four years. Soybean and corn throughput along this corridor surged by 57%, rising from 36.7 million tonnes in 2020 to 57.6 million tonnes in 2024. By 2025, the Northern Arc accounted for 39.5% of Brazil’s exports of these commodities, marking a notable shift in the country’s export logistics landscape.

The growth is driven by the expansion of agricultural frontiers and investments in logistics infrastructure, particularly the integration of highways, railways, waterways, and port terminals. The BR-163 highway and the terminals in Miritituba, Pará, play a crucial role in connecting Mato Grosso’s producing regions to the Amazon waterway system. This corridor combines road transportation with barge convoys along Amazonian rivers, facilitating the movement of cargo to international maritime shipping.

Despite the rise of the Northern Arc, traditional ports like Santos and Paranaguá in the South and Southeast remain vital. The Northern Arc serves as an additional alternative, particularly for the Center-West and Matopiba regions, creating a more diversified export logistics network. However, challenges such as the sensitivity of Amazon navigation to river conditions and periods of drought pose operational risks.

To address these challenges, the Ferrogrão (EF-170) project aims to expand transportation capacity between Mato Grosso and Miritituba. This railway project would provide an alternative to the predominantly road-based transportation currently used, enhancing the integration of different transportation modes within the Northern Arc.