Rocha starts operations at Port of Santana, boosting North Arc logistics capacity

Rocha Terminais Portuários e Logística has started operations at the Port of Santana, Amapá’s main cargo terminal, where it will handle and move vegetable dry bulk cargoes such as corn and soybeans.

The new operation is Rocha’s first in northern Brazil and gives the company a strategic foothold in one of the country’s fastest-growing export corridors, especially for cargo flows from the North and Center-West regions.

The Port of Santana currently handles a diverse range of bulk cargoes, from wood chips to grain residues. The chart below shows the share held by each of the commodities moved through the port in the first five months of the year, according to Datamar data.

Top Cargoes | Port of Santana | Jan-May 2026 | WTMT

Source: DataLiner (click here to request a demo)

The concession contract for terminal area MCP03 provides for R$88 million in investments over 25 years. The site covers 11,700 square meters and has storage capacity of 76,600 tonnes.

“This expansion is a milestone in Rocha’s history. We are a company with more than 160 years of experience, focused on people, efficiency and business growth to serve our customers. Our main goal will be to develop the area and create jobs, while contributing strategically to the development of the North Arc by increasing the operating capacity and competitiveness of the Port of Santana,” said Darlan De David, CEO of Rocha Terminais Portuários e Logística.

The North Arc, which includes ports and transshipment stations in Amapá, Amazonas, Pará, Rondônia and Maranhão, has become an increasingly important logistics corridor in Brazil. Its growth has been driven mainly by grain exports and by imports of a range of products.

According to data from Brazil’s food supply and statistics agency Conab, fertilizer imports through North Arc ports have risen 98% over the past four years, reaching 7.01 million tonnes.

Rocha won the 2024 auction for the lease of area MCP03 with a bid of R$58 million. De David said the company’s entry into Amapá reinforces the credibility of the local port and creates an opportunity to expand and modernize Brazil’s logistics infrastructure.

The company plans to expand the terminal, extend the quay by 30 meters and build new storage silos.

With those improvements, the Port of Santana is expected to gain competitiveness and increase its capacity to ship products to key markets, including Europe and Asia. In addition to China, the largest buyer of Brazilian grains, the North Arc also ships to Spain, Mexico, Japan and the Netherlands.

“Its proximity to the Panama Canal and to Europe already makes exports through the North attractive. Recent public and private investments are now helping strengthen its importance to the national economy,” De David said.

Source: Rocha Terminais Portuários e Logística

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