Santos Port Authority to end management of Itajaí Port by late November

The Santos Port Authority (APS) announced on Friday that it will transfer management of the Port of Itajaí, in Santa Catarina, to the Bahia State Dock Company (Codeba) within 30 days.

As previously reported by A Tribuna on October 21, the Ministry of Ports and Airports (MPor) decided to transfer the port administration from APS to Codeba, without providing any technical or economic justification. Although the ministry has not commented publicly, A Tribuna learned that the move may have been politically motivated.

APS had taken over management of Itajaí in January 2025, at the ministry’s request, under a one-year agreement.

Positive results
In a statement, APS said it was leaving “a legacy of recovery” for the port’s operations, highlighting that cargo movement more than doubled compared to 2024.

Between January and August 2025, the port handled 127% more cargo than in all of 2024, according to APS. Data from the National Waterway Transport Agency (Antaq) show that the Port of Itajaí moved 2.5 million tonnes in that period, compared to 1.1 million tonnes in 2024. The port had previously been paralyzed for a year and a half, resuming activity only in 2023.

APS also noted that the MPor recently presented a timeline for the port’s long-term concession and continues to work on establishing the Santa Catarina Dock Company, which will eventually assume management.

APS President Anderson Pomini thanked the ministry for its trust and welcomed the transition to Codeba: “We are honored by this mission and leave with a sense of duty fulfilled. We are confident that Codeba, with its recognized expertise, will do an excellent job and continue the measures and actions initiated by APS,” he said.

The port’s strong performance has also been reflected financially: in the first half of 2025, Itajaí reported R$105 million in revenue, with a 108% growth forecast compared with 2024, APS added.

Source: A Tribuna

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