Santos mega container terminal auction likely in May, minister says

Ports and Airports Minister Silvio Costa Filho said on Tuesday (10) that the auction for the STS 10 mega container terminal at the Port of Santos is expected to take place in May. The bidding rules are set to be submitted to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva after Carnival and published in early March.

“We are finalizing the bidding framework alongside Antaq [the National Waterway Transportation Agency] to present it to the president after Carnival and, from there, take a joint decision to move forward with the Tecon Santos 10 auction,” Costa Filho said at an event hosted by BTG Pactual.

Under the proposed criteria, the winner will be the bidder offering the highest concession fee, with a minimum floor of 500 million reais ($500 million equivalent in local currency terms) and a 25-year concession period. Antaq expects the matter to be reviewed by its board later this month.

With the new terminal, the government estimates the Port of Santos’ annual container capacity could reach 9 million units. The auction is considered strategic by both the government and the regulator. Since the new Ports Law was enacted in 2013, none of the roughly 70 port auctions held have involved container terminals.

The Port of Santos is currently Brazil’s leader in container throughput, holding a 43% market share in the country. The following chart presents a historical overview of container imports and exports at the São Paulo-based terminal. This chart was compiled using DataLiner data:

Santos Port | Exports & Imports | Jan 2022 – Dec 2025 | TEUs

Source: DataLiner (click here to request a demo)

In addition to STS 10, the government plans three other container terminal auctions this year, in the ports of São Sebastião (SP), Fortaleza (CE) and Itajaí (SC).

“The private sector has responded positively to the business environment, but productivity gains have limits. It is necessary to expand and strengthen infrastructure. Ports cannot become a bottleneck for the country’s growth,” said Antaq Director-General Frederico Dias.

Also on Tuesday, the government published an ordinance expanding the boundaries of the Port of Santos. The port polygon defines the physical limits of the organized port area within which the port authority exercises management powers.

According to National Ports Secretary Alex Avila, the port’s area was expanded by 17.2 million square meters, including 4.8 million square meters of land and 12.4 million square meters of water area.

“We are planning the port’s medium- and long-term growth, enabling new expansions to serve different cargo segments,” Avila said.

In this first phase, the ministry incorporated areas where discussions had already reached consensus. Debate is expected to continue over additional areas deemed strategic by the Santos Port Authority, including Vilas dos Criadores, Vila de São Vicente and areas in Cubatão, which could be included in a second revision of the port’s boundaries.

Source: Valor Econômico

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