Entities advocate for the Tecon Santos 10 auction to still take place this year

In the document, the associations call for the preservation of broad competition and equal participation conditions for operators in the bidding process (Alexsander Ferraz/AT)

Entities representing the logistics, infrastructure, foreign trade, and agribusiness sectors released a manifesto defending the holding of the auction for the Tecon Santos 10 Container Terminal later this year. In the document, the associations call for the preservation of broad competition and equal participation conditions for operators in the bidding process.

“Restrictions on participation, in matters of this nature, must be rigorously exceptional, technically substantiated, and strictly proportional”, the manifesto states.

The document is signed by the Associação Brasileira dos Armadores de Cabotagem (Abac), the Associação de Terminais Portuários Privados (ATP), the Instituto Livre Mercado, the Câmara de Comércio Brasil-Ásia (CBA), the Centro Nacional de Navegação Transatlântica (Centronave), Logística Brasil, the Instituto Brasileiro de Infraestrutura (IBI), the Associação Nacional dos Exportadores de Algodão (Anea), and the Conselho dos Exportadores de Café do Brasil (Cecafé).

The group supports maintaining the model originally proposed by the Agência Nacional de Transportes Aquaviários (Antaq) and calls for swift action by the Federal Government in conducting the process. In this regard, it cites the technical opinion issued by the Programa de Parcerias de Investimentos (PPI), under the Casa Civil, which classified the project as strategic and recommended expediting its implementation.

The proposal by the Casa Civil to allow shipping companies to participate in the first stage of the auction, conditional upon divesting assets already operated in the region, is facing resistance within the board of directors of the Agência Nacional de Transportes Aquaviários (Antaq).

Agency directors assess that any potential change to the bidding notice could require a new review by the Tribunal de Contas da União (TCU), which would further delay the bidding process. The model discussed at the TCU in 2025 initially provided for restrictions on the participation of shipping companies such as MSC and Maersk, allowing them to enter only in a second round if no valid proposals were submitted by new operators.