Presentation

Rising international trade flows have demanded comprehensive responses and rapid modernization of ports throughout the world. With 95% of Brazil’s foreign trade passing through its ports, port infrastructure and logistical systems play an essential role in Brazil’s participation in worldwide trade. In order to maintain its competitivity, the Brazilian ports sector must face the challenges of raising efficiency, reducing operating costs, and adopting environmentally-sound management.

With a coastline of 8,500 kilometers, in 2007, Brazil’s ports handled goods worth US$ 217 billion, the sum of US$ 132 billion in exports (of a total of US$ 161 billion exported by Brazil) and US$ 85 billion in imports (of a total of US$ 121 billion).

The Brazilian ports system comprises 37 public sea and river ports, of which 18 are managed by state or municipal administrations, through delegation, concession, or authorization. There are, moreover, 42 terminals under private management, and three port complexes operated by private companies under concessions.

In 2007, Brazil’s ports and terminals handled a total of 754.7 million metric tons of cargo, a 10.9% increase in relation to 2006, when they handled 692.8 million metric tons.

The Brazilian port that handled the greatest volume in 2007 was the Port of Itaguaí-RJ (87.7 million metric tons), followed by Santos-SP (80.7 million metric tons), São Sebastião-SP (50.3 million), Paranaguá-PR (37.6 million), Aratu-BA (30.3 million), Angra dos Reis-RJ (29.5 million), Rio Grande-RS (26.6 million), and Belém-PA (21.1 million metric tons).

Several of these ports are specialized in specific types of cargo. The ports of Tubarão, Itaqui and Itaguaí specialize in solid bulk cargoes, mostly mineral ores. São Sebastião is the largest handler of liquid bulk cargoes, especially oil and oil byproducts.

The Port of Santos is Brazil’s largest general cargo and container port, and tends to handle higher value-added goods. In 2005, exports worth US$ 32 billion passed through the Port of Santos, over three times more than were handled by the Port of Vitória, the second in the ranking by value.

Although most of Brazil’s exports are shipped by sea, Brazil’s ports are less well equipped to face the demands of contemporary international maritime trade than many of their competitors. Indeed, delays and inefficiencies at ports constitute major bottlenecks for expansion of Brazil’s foreign trade, and contribute toward the so-called “Brazil cost”.

In 1993, approval of the Ports Law (Law 8.630), which authorized the leasing of terminals to the private sector under concessions and management contracts helped trigger modernization in the Brazilian ports system. In the ensuing years, efforts have been underway to enhance efficiency and capacity of the nation’s ports, and to increase Brazil’s exports as a share of world trade. Attracting foreign investment and cooperation with port authorities of other countries is also of vital importance for modernization of the Brazilian ports sector.