Auction of São Sebastião port delayed to 2026

The auction of the Port of São Sebastião, originally scheduled for the end of 2025, will be postponed to 2026, according to Minister of Ports and Airports Silvio Costa Filho (Republicanos).

The information was confirmed by the minister in an interview with Rede Vanguarda on Monday afternoon (22).

The minister did not provide details on the reason for the postponement or the next steps of the auction, but said he is coordinating its execution with the state government.

“We are in talks with the state government, and the expectation is that in February or March we can hold this major auction, which will greatly expand the capacity of the Port of São Sebastião,” said Silvio Costa Filho.

Check below a historical record of cargo throughput in long-haul trade at the Port of São Sebastião starting from January 2022. The chart was prepared with DataLiner data:

Cargo Throughput via Port of São Sebastião | Jan 2022 to Jul 2025 | WTMT

Source: DataLiner (Click here to request a demo)

In 2024, the government announced a package of port auctions, with 58 expected to be completed by 2026, involving up to R$20 billion in investments. The São Sebastião port is included in the package. The projected investment for São Sebastião is R$656 million.

On Monday, the minister attended the launch of a technological development center for managing the Port of Santos, held at the São José dos Campos Technology Park. It was during this event that he commented on the São Sebastião port auction. The federal government’s original forecast was for the auction to take place by the end of this year, but the timeline has now been delayed.

Port auction
The federal government intends to grant concessions for several ports in Brazil, including São Sebastião. Altogether, 58 port terminals are expected to be auctioned nationwide, with a total of R$20 billion in private sector contracts.

The government expects the São Sebastião port auction to draw investments of R$656 million. The winning company will be able to operate a 261,000 m² area for 35 years, with the option to renew for the same period.

The São Sebastião terminal has been managed by the government of São Paulo since 2007, through the Secretariat of Infrastructure, Environment, and Logistics (Semil).

According to Semil, the auction will expand the port’s handling capacity to at least 4.3 million tonnes per year. In addition, the investment includes the construction of a new berth, which will diversify operations by enabling the port to receive multiple types of cargo, supporting economic growth.

With cargo diversification and the construction of the new berth, the federal government expects the port’s cargo volume to grow by 330%.

Record in 2024
The Port of São Sebastião ended 2024 with a historic record in cargo handling. Compared to 2023, there was a 47% increase in cargo movement, according to the state government.

From January to December 2024, the terminal handled around 1.5 million tonnes, up from 1 million tonnes in 2023, reflecting a 47% increase. See the historical figures for recent years:

2022 – 918,000 tonnes

2023 – 1 million tonnes

2024 – 1.5 million tonnes

In 2024, the port’s main cargo was bulk sugar, totaling 498,500 tonnes.

Source: G1

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