Barriers and solutions mark debate in Santos on the future of ports in Brazil

Ports show a mismatch between the timelines of public administration and market needs (Sílvio Luiz/A Tribuna)

The relationship between public management at all levels of government and the future of Brazilian ports will guide discussions this Thursday (26) at the 1º Encontro Porto & Mar 2026 at the Grupo Tribuna auditorium, in Santos. The event will bring together public authorities and leaders from the private sector.

The president of the Associação Brasileira dos Terminais Portuários (ABTP), Jesualdo Silva, intends to bring to the debate an analysis of the legal and regulatory barriers that directly impact the sector. “The national legal framework is quite complex, composed of general federal laws and more localized legislation from states and municipalities. This complexity can lead, in various situations, to ‘gray areas’ in the classification of the activities of each of those involved in legal processes.”

For the president of ABTP, public debate is essential for improving the rules governing the sector. “This discussion promoted by Grupo Tribuna is extremely relevant, a vehicle of great representativeness not only for Santos, but for all of Brazil”, he emphasizes, reiterating that “it is through dialogues like these that we can refine our legal and regulatory framework, which is directly related to legal certainty.”

The CEO of Bandeirantes Deicmar, Washington Flores, believes that the greatest challenges are linked to “regulatory complexity, with the involvement of consenting authorities that often generate conflicting decisions and overlapping rules and bureaucracy.” The executive states that “there is a high level of public sector interference in private activity”, which, according to him, “makes predictability and strategic decision-making more difficult.”

Another critical point, in Flores’s assessment, is the mismatch between the timelines of public administration and market needs. “There are challenges in aligning schedules between public bureaucracy and private sector demands, which impacts investments and decision-making agility.”

At the local level, the CEO of Bandeirantes Deicmar draws attention to the lack of integration between port and city, especially in Santos. “It compromises logistics flow and urban mobility”, he says, highlighting the need for greater coordination among different levels of government.

The mayor of Santos, Rogério Santos (Republicanos), states that the Municipality “has a strategic role for Brazil for hosting the Port of Santos.” He emphasizes that “the challenge is to increasingly integrate port activities into the city’s daily life, with investments in mobility and improvements in logistics access.”

Among the priority projects, the mayor mentions the revitalization of the central region. “We have already begun this process with Parque Valongo, but the implementation of a new passenger terminal is also necessary to strengthen cruise tourism and the local economy.”

For Rogério Santos, institutional dialogue is a key element in this process. “This convergence helps address issues such as mobility, port expansion, and urban revitalization, reducing impacts on the population’s daily life”, he comments.

Federal deputy Paulo Alexandre Barbosa (PSDB) highlights the growth of port cargo handling in the country but warns of structural challenges. “Brazilian ports handled 1.4 billion tons in 2025, a historic record, but there are still bottlenecks to be overcome”, he notes.

Barbosa lists ongoing projects that may resolve these barriers. “We are committed to solving this definitively with initiatives such as the third lane of the Rodovia dos Imigrantes, Tecon Santos 10, and the Santos-Guarujá tunnel,” he states.

The congressman also underscores the importance of the debate. “The Encontro Porto & Mar 2026 is a fundamental part of this process. It is an important opportunity to hear experts and propose new alternatives for the development of the port sector”, he concludes.

PROGRAM

2:30 p.m. — WELCOME Paulo Alexandre Barbosa — Federal Deputy

2:30 p.m. — OFFICIAL OPENING Rogério Santos — Mayor of Santos Farid Madi — Mayor of Guarujá César Nascimento — Mayor of Cubatão Alberto Mourão — Mayor of Praia Grande

3:00 p.m. — THE ROLE OF THE PUBLIC AGENT AND THE CHALLENGES IN PORT AUTHORITY MANAGEMENT Anderson Pomini — President of the Autoridade Portuária de Santos (APS)

3:30 p.m. — PANEL: THE MISMATCH BETWEEN FEDERAL, STATE, AND MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENTS Flávia Pontilhão — Coordination Manager of Inspection at the Agência Nacional de Transportes Aquaviários (Antaq) Fábio Ferraz — Secretary of Government of Santos Jesualdo Silva — CEO of the Associação Brasileira dos Terminais Portuários (ABTP) Washington Flores — CEO of Bandeirantes Deicmar Fabio Siccherino — CEO of DP World Brasil Denis Gerage Amorim — State Deputy Secretary of Logistics and Transport

4:40 p.m. — Q&A Porto & Mar Columnists

5:00 p.m. — TRIBUNA TALKS: PORT AUTHORITY MANAGEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT BOTTLENECKS Anderson Pomini — President of APS Luiz Fernando Garcia — President of Portos do Paraná Ernesto Sampaio — President of Companhia Docas de São Sebastião

6:00 p.m. — CLOSING COFFEE