EU–Mercosur Deal Opens Window of Opportunity for Brazilian Ports

In the medium to long term, Brazil is well positioned to be the main beneficiary within Mercosur of the trade agreement signed with the European Union (EU), given the composition and scale of its exports. The deal has the potential to benefit Brazilian ports, which handle these cargoes.

In 2025, Brazilian exports to the EU reached $49.8 billion (R$263.9 billion), accounting for 14.3% of the country’s total exports. With 97% of Brazil’s exports and imports carried by sea, analysts at BTG say the agreement with the EU could double or even triple trade flows with the bloc. The impact would ripple through the logistics chain, and the ports that already handle the largest volumes to Europe are expected to reflect that potential.

The following chart shows the top most exported commodities, transported in containers, from Brazil to the 27 countries in the European Union from January through November 2025. The data was collected and processed by Datamar. Readers may request a demo below.

Top Exports | Brazil to EU | 2025 | TEUs

Source: DataLiner (click here to request a demo)

Each port, however, has its own profile. Some are not licensed to export, while others are heavily geared toward outbound cargo, meaning the impact will vary from port to port.

At the Port of Itapoá, in the southern state of Santa Catarina and one of Brazil’s largest container ports, expectations are that the agreement could double cargo flows to the EU within five years. “Because tariff reductions will be gradual, the curve is exponential,” said Ricardo Arten, chief executive of the Port of Itapoá.

The port currently exports goods from several Brazilian states, including Mato Grosso, São Paulo, Paraná and Rio Grande do Sul. Imports linked to the EU accounted for about 19% of total throughput in 2025, when the port handled 1.5 million TEUs (20-foot equivalent units). On the export side, the EU represented roughly 12% of the total last year.

Among outbound cargoes, 19% of forest products — such as timber and pulp — shipped through Itapoá were destined for the EU. Arten said the agreement offers a major opportunity for timber and pulp companies that were hit by U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff hikes to regain competitiveness in the European market.

At the Port of Suape, in the northeastern state of Pernambuco, exports via the Export Processing Zone (ZPE), which offers tax incentives, are not yet authorized. Even so, the EU deal adds momentum to efforts to secure that expansion, said chief executive Armando Monteiro Bisneto. “We filed the request with the Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade and Services (MDIC) in August last year and expect approval this year. The agreement could be a major lever for the port,” he said. Currently, cargo flows between Suape and the EU account for 4% of total throughput, but Bisneto believes that figure could increase fivefold in the coming years. “We are much closer to Europe than the centre and south of the country.”

In June, the port is set to inaugurate a terminal operated by a subsidiary of Denmark’s Maersk, which could strengthen both the inflow of European goods and the export of Brazilian agricultural and manufactured products. “We are already in advanced talks with the Port of Sines, in Portugal, which is a gateway to the entire Iberian Peninsula. Ports in northern England, Antwerp and Rotterdam are also on our radar.” At present, Suape has only one regular shipping service, to Valencia, Spain.

One product Bisneto believes could appeal to European consumers is green methanol. Suape will host an e-methanol plant developed by European Energy, with investments of around R$2 billion, and Maersk is expected to be one of the buyers of the green fuel once operations begin.

At the Port of Paranaguá, in the state of Paraná, trade with the EU accounts for 12% of total throughput. Of the port’s export mix, 15% is destined for the bloc, while imports from the EU represent 4% of total inbound cargo. Key products include soybean meal, sugar, wood products (such as panels, particleboard and other processed items), pulp, chemicals, meat, fats and vegetable oils. The port has refrained from issuing forecasts and says it is still assessing the potential impacts of the agreement.

Capturing the gains from the EU trade deal will depend not only on investments at ports and terminals, but also on regulatory reforms and the removal of logistics bottlenecks, particularly in access infrastructure.

The most significant initiative to amplify the effects of the agreement is Bill 733, seen as a new regulatory framework for the port sector. The proposal is currently under review in the lower house of Congress, where a special committee has been set up to analyze it. With 151 articles, the bill aims to replace the 2013 ports law by introducing changes to regulation, service pricing, labour hiring rules and environmental licensing.

Among other measures, the draft legislation would waive individual licenses for the installation of port and cruise terminals. It would also allow prices to be freely negotiated, provided competition rules are respected. At present, port tariffs are regulated by the National Waterway Transport Agency (Antaq).

According to Jesualdo Silva, chief executive of the Brazilian Association of Port Terminals (ABTP), which represents 104 companies, the current law contains significant bottlenecks, particularly regarding labor hiring and port expansion works. “Today, there is exclusivity in the hiring of casual dockworkers through the labor management body. As for construction works, government authorizations are required, which in some cases can take years,” he said.

Silva also pointed to the auction of a new container terminal at the Port of Santos, in São Paulo state, scheduled for March, as another essential project for the sector to seize the opportunities created by the EU deal. The expectation is that the new terminal will double container throughput at the port.

The Port of Suape is also set to benefit from an infrastructure project worth more than R$1.2 billion, designed to have a similar effect to São Paulo’s Rodoanel ring road. The plan is to allow trucks to bypass the Greater Recife metropolitan area and reach the port without having to navigate city traffic.

Itapoá is currently in the fourth phase of its expansion, which is expected to be completed by the end of the first half of the year. Planned works include dredging to allow the port to receive larger vessels. Infrastructure projects are also under way to improve access routes. “Railway expansion is very important for us,” Arten said.

To ease logistics bottlenecks along the BR-101 highway, the Port of Itapoá has also been in talks with local authorities on ways to attract companies to its industrial hub.

Source: Forbes Brasil

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