Anvisa Orders Partial Closure of Warehouses and Terminal at the Port of Santos Due to Improper Storage of Medicines

The Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency (Anvisa) has ordered the partial interdiction of warehouses operated by logistics company Santos Brasil and the Ecoporto terminal at the Port of Santos, located on the coast of São Paulo. According to g1, the decision stems from poor storage conditions for health products, including medications.

Anvisa’s resolutions were published on Monday (28) in the Diário Oficial da União (Federal Register). They call for suspending the receipt and storage of medical products, materials, and hospital equipment at the inspected facilities.

One of the partially interdicted Santos Brasil warehouses is located in the Alemoa district of Santos, while another is in a terminal on the port’s left bank in Guarujá (SP). These facilities are under Federal Revenue control, where imported and export-bound goods are stored before customs clearance.

Santos Brasil stated that storage activities for loose and deconsolidated pharmaceutical products and raw materials had been suspended.

G1 reached out to Ecoporto but had received no response as of the latest update.

Irregularities Found by Anvisa

Inspections revealed issues at Santos Brasil’s terminal and the Customs Industrial Logistics Centers (CLIA) in both Santos and Guarujá. Key findings include:

• Receiving a controlled substance shipment in late 2024 without Anvisa’s special authorization.
• Inadequate temperature control (failure to maintain temperatures below 30°C) in areas designated for health product storage.
• Lack of thermal qualification for the installation and operation of the cargo inspection area.

As a result, Anvisa imposed a partial interdiction on all three facilities, suspending the storage of “loose cargo” related to medicines and pharmaceutical supplies.

In a statement, Santos Brasil acknowledged the Anvisa ruling and reaffirmed its commitment to safety and quality standards:

“These types of cargo will only be handled in containers at our yards. The company’s warehouses continue to operate normally for other cargo types.”

Ecoporto

As for the Ecoporto terminal on the port’s right bank, Anvisa issued a resolution mandating the partial closure of three yards.

A February inspection found that Yard 1 lacked adequate infrastructure for unloading health products requiring controlled conditions, such as medications and pharmaceutical ingredients. Consequently, the unloading of such products from importers’ containers to Ecoporto’s containers has been suspended.

At Yard 2, inspectors found inadequate space for receiving, checking, and unloading health-related products and for physical and remote inspection of sanitary-controlled goods.

Similar issues were found at Yard 5, operated by Termares Terminais Marítimos Especializados, an Ecoporto affiliate. Thus, both yards were partially closed for the receipt and storage of these sensitive products.

How Long Will the Suspensions Last?

The Santos Port Authority (APS) clarified in a statement that “this matter falls under the jurisdiction of the health authority and does not involve APS.” Anvisa stated that the suspensions would remain in place until the irregularities were corrected.

G1 asked the companies and Anvisa about the specific types of medicines affected and their destinations, but by the time of publication, it had not received a response.

Full Statement from Santos Brasil:

Santos Brasil acknowledges the determinations issued by Anvisa and clarifies that only the storage of loose and deconsolidated pharmaceutical products and raw materials has been suspended. These cargoes will now only be handled in containers at the company’s yards. The company’s warehouses remain fully operational for all other cargo types. Known for its quality and operational excellence, Santos Brasil reaffirms its commitment to the highest safety and quality standards and remains available to Anvisa.

Source: G1

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