At a seaport, planning to receive incoming cargo is part of the routine, but Santos Brasil took that idea further. The company, which operates the container terminal (Tecon) and another vehicle terminal at the Port of Santos, Brazil’s largest, drew up a ten-year plan in the last decade to prepare for the advance of Brazilian exports.

Since 2019, an investment cycle of 2.6 billion reais (US$475.7 million) has been underway to raise the port’s operational capacity to 3 million containers. That capacity will be reached in 2026, five years ahead of the initial forecast. “We did not cut back on investments during Covid-19. As a result, we kept gaining market share when demand surged,” says Antônio Sepúlveda, CEO of Santos Brasil. In addition to Santos, the company operates six other terminals around the country.

The company stands out for maintaining high investment levels over extended periods in a capital-intensive sector. In 2024, the company posted revenue of 2.9 billion reais (US$530.6 million), up 36% from the previous year, with profit of 741.9 million reais (US$135.7 million). Container throughput at the three ports where Santos Brasil operates—Santos (SP), Imbituba (SC), and Vila do Conde (PA)—was 1.4 million, 22% more than in 2023. Last year, in addition to strong growth, the company was acquired by the CMA CGM group, a French shipping multinational present in 160 countries that serves 600 ports and operates more than 60 terminals, opening up even more business possibilities.

In 2025, the numbers continue to rise. In the first half, container volume grew 9% compared with the same period in 2024. Sepúlveda notes that the company has low indebtedness, with a leverage of 1.33. The shock to exports to the United States, hit by Donald Trump’s tariffs, had little impact, since shipments are increasingly headed to Asia. At the same time, the search for new concessions continues. “You have to seize the moment, because opportunities can take 70 years to come around again. That’s the term of port contracts,” the CEO says.

Dollar conversions use 1 USD = 5.4659 BRL (Oct. 13, 2025).