Port of Santos studies tariff discounts for exporters hit by U.S. trade measures

The president of the Santos Port Authority (APS), Anderson Pomini, took part on Wednesday (8) in the Joint Committee reviewing the provisional measure that establishes Brasil Soberano — the federal government’s plan to support Brazilian exporters affected by the recent U.S. tariff hikes.

Just over two months after the U.S. implemented its tariff package on Brazilian goods, Pomini announced that APS is conducting a study to apply tariff discounts for exporters whose cargoes are directly impacted by the measure.

During his presentation, Pomini shared operational data from the Santos Port Complex, showing strong performance in July and August — a response he called a “cargo rush” triggered by the onset of the U.S. tariffs.

“When the U.S. president announced the tariffs, producers with export-ready cargoes rushed to ship their goods, considering that it takes about ten days for a vessel to sail from our quay to any U.S. port. That’s why we broke records — 17.4 million tonnes in July and 16.5 million tonnes in August. Of all cargo moved through the Port of Santos, between 12% and 15% goes to the United States,” he said.

Among the main Brazilian exports through Santos affected by the U.S. tariffs are coffee, cotton, sugar, and beef.

Below is a chart showing Brazil’s sugar exports to the United States since January 2022, produced with DataLiner data:

Brazilian sugar exports to the United States | Jan 2022 – Aug 2025 | WTMT

Source: DataLiner (Click here to request a demo)

When asked by lawmakers about the effects of the Trump administration’s tariffs, Pomini said the biggest losers are U.S. consumers.

“A quick search will show that they’re paying more for products like beef,” he noted.

According to the APS president, the negative impacts of the tariffs on Brazilian products have led to closer diplomatic engagement between the U.S. and Brazilian governments, evidenced this week by a phone call between Donald Trump and President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Source: Jornal da Orla

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