Brazil expects Santos port access channel auction in 2026

The Ministry of Ports and Airports (MPor) is awaiting the conclusion of technical studies before submitting the concession project for the access channel of the Port of Santos (SP) to the Federal Court of Accounts (TCU). In its latest update, sent to BE News, the ministry confirmed that the documents will be forwarded between October and November, with the expectation that the auction will take place in the first half of 2026. Led by the National Ports Secretariat, the concession project for the Santos channel is expected to receive R$ 6.45 billion in investments.

Initially, the ministry had expected to hold the auction for the channel of the Santos port complex this year. However, it has advanced projects for the ports of Paranaguá (PR)—with the auction already scheduled for October 22—and, more recently, the Port of Itajaí (SC), whose documentation has been sent to the Court of Accounts.

The concession project for the Santos access channel will largely follow the model defined for the Paranaguá channel, the first of its kind to be granted by the federal government.

Check out below a history of long-haul cargo movement at the Port of Santos starting in January 2022. The chart excludes domestic movements, transshipment, and cabotage, and was prepared using DataLiner data:

Container Movement in Long-Haul Trade at the Port of Santos | Jan 2022 to Jul 2025 | TEU

Source: DataLiner (Click here to request a demo)

Timeline

After review by the TCU, the document returns to the Ports Secretariat, which then publishes the tender notice for the market, while the ministry defines the auction date. During his last visit to the Port of Santos in August, Minister Silvio Costa Filho confirmed the joint effort of the National Ports Secretariat and the Port Authority to send the project to the TCU this year.

“All the effort by President (Anderson) Pomini and our team is to submit the Santos Channel concession project this year, so that we can secure its validation. With the Paranaguá and Itajaí projects, we aim to establish a legal precedent and a model that will facilitate the development of other access channels. This will provide security, predictability, and greater confidence for those who want to invest in Brazil’s port sector,” he said.

The Santos channel concession project foresees that the winning consortium will be responsible for deep-draft dredging services at the country’s largest port complex, increasing the depth to 17 meters, as well as maintaining it.

The goal of the concession is to ensure uninterrupted dredging, an essential service to guarantee the constant presence of larger vessels carrying more cargo. The project is part of the Port of Santos Authority’s (APS) plan to increase the draft of the access channel from its current 15 meters.

Ministry

The concession of port access channels is one of the main projects currently being conducted by the Ministry of Ports and Airports. In addition to the projects for Paranaguá and Santos, MPor is also in the early stages of concessions for the access channels of the ports of Itajaí (SC), Bahia, and Rio Grande (RS). The federal government plans to proceed with three auctions under this model in 2025. The Itajaí project is already at an advanced stage. At the end of last year, the ministry also announced guidelines for applying this model at the ports of Suape (PE) and Itaqui (MA).

Source: Jornal da Orla

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