Santos expansion opens door for up to 30 new terminals and ZPE

The Santos Port Authority (APS) plans to tender newly incorporated areas of the Port of Santos starting in 2027 and expects to accommodate up to 30 new terminals and an Export Processing Zone (ZPE). The port complex has been expanded from 9.3 square kilometers to 14.5 square kilometers — a 56% territorial increase — under an ordinance published by the Ministry of Ports and Airports in the Official Gazette.

APS President Anderson Pomini said the authority is already preparing bids to lease the new areas to private operators, with a focus on modernization and operational efficiency. According to him, the expansion will allow the port to keep pace with economic growth. Santos currently connects to around 600 destinations in nearly 200 countries and could eventually host an additional 20 to 30 terminals. The expansion, he added, is part of a broader strategic plan covering short-, medium- and long-term actions.

APS identified three priority areas: the Largo do Caneu surroundings, covering roughly 5 square kilometers and seen as suitable for new terminals and a ZPE; areas in Alemoa with direct channel access totaling about 114,000 square meters; and parcels in Monte Cabrão, on the mainland side of Santos, with approximately 180,000 square meters available.

A request to expand the port’s official boundary to as much as 20.4 square kilometers was submitted to the ministry in 2024. A public consultation followed in 2025, and partial approval has now been granted. The boundary had recently been revised from 7.8 square kilometers to 9.3 square kilometers. The latest expansion also includes maritime areas, increasing the waterway footprint from 355.2 square kilometers to 367.2 square kilometers and raising the total utilized area from 383.8 square kilometers to 401 square kilometers.

The availability of greenfield sites and the port’s strategic location are seen as major draws for new terminals and a potential ZPE. Specialists, however, point to access and infrastructure constraints that will need to be addressed to support higher cargo volumes.

Public policy specialist Leandro Lopes said the expansion could mark the beginning of a new economic cycle and reinforce Santos — which accounts for roughly 30% of Brazil’s trade balance — as South America’s leading logistics hub. He noted that the additional space opens opportunities for terminals, back-up areas and integrated operations, attracting both domestic and foreign investors. At the same time, he warned of the risk of cargo concentration without corresponding upgrades to surrounding infrastructure.

Historically, container operations at the Port of Santos have been concentrated within a few key terminals focused on long-haul operations. Based on Datamar data, the following figures highlight the leading terminals for 2025, integrating both inbound and outbound traffic.

Long-Haul Container Movement | 2025 | TEUs

Source: DataLiner (click here to request a demo)

According to Lopes, a ZPE integrated with the port could attract multinational exporters, strengthen domestic industry and lower logistics costs — provided there is adequate rail connectivity, efficient urban mobility and legal certainty.

Attorney João Paulo Braun said the new boundary improves predictability for investors and reduces the risk of saturation, helping keep the port competitive and attractive to major operators. In his view, the revised territorial configuration is a critical step toward establishing the ZPE and advancing the port-industry concept, with manufacturing facilities located close to the quay.

Source: A Tribuna 

Sharing is caring!