Private Ports Surge
Private ports in Brazil are projected to handle 66% of cargo by January 2026, driven by oil and agribusiness—a clear example of how private investment and multi‑use terminals can rapidly expand handling capacity. (en.clickpetroleoegas.com.br)
ANTAQ’s January 2026 bulletin reports Terminais de Uso Privado (TUPs) moved 68.7 million tonnes in the month, a 14.1% year‑on‑year increase that represented about 66% of Brazil’s port throughput. ) The national total for January was roughly 104 million tonnes, up 12.8% versus January 2025, driven by simultaneous gains across multiple cargo categories. ) Commodity breakdown shows crude oil jumped to 21.4 million tonnes in January (+37.6% YoY) and soy reached 4.0 million tonnes (+114.3% YoY), while liquid bulk rose 29.7% and solid bulk 10.4% versus January 2025. ) Individual private terminals posted outsized gains — TPET/TOIL at Porto do Açu handled 7.7 million tonnes in January, a 159.8% increase year‑on‑year — and new multi‑cargo projects such as the Luís Correa TUP envisage R$2.5 billion in capex to operate solid bulk, liquid bulk, containers and general cargo. (transportemoderno.com.br (transportemoderno.com.br)) Federal approvals and contract signings have mobilized fresh capital: 25 contractual instruments formalized between July 2025 and January 2026 total R$9.23 billion in planned TUP investments, allocated across Brazil’s five regions. (datamarnews.com (datamarnews.com)) Industry surveys put the broader private‑terminal pipeline much larger, with 57 TUP projects totaling about 76.4 billion reais (roughly US$13.7 billion), highlighting concentrated mega‑projects in Macaé, Santos and Porto Central. (dredgewire.com (dredgewire.com)) Organized (public) ports also expanded in January, moving 35.3 million tonnes (+10.3% YoY), while container throughput reached 1.3 million TEUs in the month (TEU growth of 8.1%). ) Not all authorized TUPs have progressed: a government diagnostic finds 17 authorized private‑use terminals remain unbuilt, representing about R$36.8 billion in stalled investment, with environmental licensing, financing and legal disputes cited as principal causes. (atribuna.com.br (atribuna.com.br))
