Candidates’ plans lack specific proposals for ports

Strategic for the movement of Brazilian production and for the country’s foreign trade, ports feature in all presidential candidates’ platforms but are mostly included in broader proposals for logistics and integration with other transportation modes.

The proposals seek to reduce costs and improve cargo transportation, while some platforms also address port infrastructure from the perspectives of public safety and tourism. Although all candidates mention ports in their platforms, there are few proposals specifically focused on the sector, and there is no uniform approach to its expansion.

The lack of greater detail on the proposals comes at a time when the current government is seeking to map the port infrastructure expansion needs for the coming years. There is currently no tool capable of integrating demand and capacity across ports and terminals, whether public or private. The Port Saturation Monitoring (MSP) system, being developed by a working group, is expected to identify, based on information collected from ports, where there is unmet demand or idle capacity and to support decisions on new investments. This will be the situation inherited by the next president, whoever that may be.

“The MSP will become part of the technical analysis used to make decisions on these new projects,” said National Ports Secretary Alex Ávila.

The candidate seeking reelection for the Workers’ Party (PT), President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, makes a brief reference to the issue in his platform, together with other transportation modes. The proposal is to continue the policy of new leases at organized ports, as well as concession processes for maintaining access channels and other port services. There is, however, no mention of any specific project.

Liberal Party (PL) candidate Flávio Bolsonaro, meanwhile, promises to invest R$900 billion over four years across all transportation modes, with the creation of logistics corridors for national integration. He does not, however, detail the source of the funds. Among the proposals is a connection between production areas in the Central-West and ports. The platform also calls for unblocking inland waterway infrastructure projects aimed at moving production. One example is the Tapajós Waterway (Pará).

The issue also appears in connection with one of the main agendas of this election race: public safety. Flávio promises to strengthen security at ports, airports, and borders to intercept weapons and drugs and expand surveillance of these areas with cameras.

Ports also feature in the public safety agenda of Ronaldo Caiado (Social Democracy Party, PSD). His platform calls for the creation of a National Port and Airport Security Policy as part of efforts to combat international trafficking in drugs and weapons.

In infrastructure, the candidate proposes organizing the different transportation modes into strategic logistics corridors. He also promises to expand concessions and public-private partnerships, with a permanent and predictable auction calendar, continuing the Investment Partnerships Program (PPI). The proposal also seeks to rebalance the transportation matrix, which is currently concentrated in road transportation.

The platform of Renan Santos, the Mission Party candidate, is the only one to cite proposals for specific ports. The platform calls for expanding port capacity in the North and Northeast, with expansions at the ports of Alcântara (Maranhão), Ilhéus (Bahia), and Itaqui (Maranhão), as well as modernization of the naval fleet. The candidate also proposes to “regain state control over ports, airports, and dry borders,” using scanners and intelligence.

Augusto Cury (Avante) includes ports in a strategy for logistics integration and promoting exports. The candidate proposes five Strategic Export Corridors, as well as a national program to integrate transportation modes to reduce costs. In the Northeast, he cites the presence of strategic ports as one of the factors supporting the formation of regional hubs.

Romeu Zema, the candidate for Novo, proposes expanding port infrastructure, improving land and waterway access, and integrating ports with rail and road networks, with greater private-sector participation in management and investment. The platform also calls for expanding inland navigation and private-sector participation in projects such as dredging, signaling, locks, and waterway access. Ports also feature among the infrastructure supporting tourism that could receive concessions and private investment.

The Brazilian Association of Container Terminals (Abratec) argues that the next government should give the sector specific attention, with both public and private resources, given the shortcomings of the current infrastructure. “The country needs a real shock of investment in access infrastructure. We have been living off major investments made more than 50 years ago,” said Caio Morel, the organization’s chief executive. He claimed the industry has been following the candidates’ presentations and calling for sector-specific planning that is comprehensive and includes both public and private investment.

André Seixas, executive director of Logística Brasil, said the federal government’s proposed MSP had been well received by the market, but said one concern was ensuring the project’s continuity given the approaching elections. The organization represents shippers and other industry players.

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