After a decade, government eyes four container terminal auctions in 2026 – Datamar News | 10/02/26

Brazil’s waterway regulator Antaq has announced plans to hold four container terminal auctions in 2026, the first time in a decade that such assets will be offered to the private sector, with a primary focus on the STS 10 project at the Port of Santos, expected to become the country’s largest terminal with projected R$6.4 billion in investment and a 50 % capacity increase; however, the original auction timetable — initially promised for late January — has not yet been published due to internal disagreements between the Ministry of Ports and Airports and the Chief of Staff’s Office over the tender structure, especially regarding restrictions on participation by certain shipping lines and existing operators, and the Ministry is still reviewing internal requests, potentially delaying the auction from its initial April schedule; additionally, Antaq plans to auction the container terminal at the Port of Itajaí, currently operated temporarily by JBS Terminais, whose CEO has already expressed interest in retaining control of the terminal. Link to Article