Published Tuesday, 10 November 2026
Santos Brasil, which runs the Tecon Santos container terminal and the TEV vehicle terminal at Brazil’s main port, has presented a plan to invest about R$3.5 billion (about US$630 million at R$5.55 per US$, the 10 November rate). CNN Brasil, a Brazilian news network, reported on Tuesday, 10 November 2026, that the company gave the plan to the Port of Santos Authority (APS) on Monday, 9 November.
Santos Brasil’s terminals sit on the Port of Santos in São Paulo state. More terminal capacity there affects how quickly cargo moves in and out of the country.
Key Facts
—The plan. Santos Brasil proposes about R$3.5 billion (about US$630 million) of investment at the Port of Santos.
—The goal. A bigger container terminal, a bigger vehicle terminal and more general cargo handling.
—The catch. The plan needs early renewal of its vehicle-terminal contract and approval from three public bodies.
—Not yet known. The cost of the rail works and the verdict of the approving bodies.
—Power Index Brazil ranks 1st of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 74.2 points (November 2026 edition).
Agência iNFRA, a Brazilian infrastructure news service, also reported the R$3.5 billion figure on 9 November. The plan is still a proposal that awaits review, and nothing has been approved.
In Plain English
Tecon Santos: the container terminal run by Santos Brasil. TEV: its terminal for vehicles.
TEU: a standard 20-foot container, the unit ports use to count boxes. Antaq: Brazil’s national waterway transport regulator.
What the Plan Covers
CNN Brasil said the plan covers the Tecon Santos container terminal, the TEV vehicle terminal and handling of general and project cargo, meaning bulky freight that does not fit in standard containers. Agência iNFRA described the plan as covering the company’s two terminals on the left bank of the port.
Tecon Santos would gain 1 million TEUs of capacity a year, rising to 4 million, a gain of one third, according to CNN Brasil and Agência iNFRA. Agência iNFRA also reported that the vehicle terminal’s capacity would rise 16%, to 360,000 vehicles a year.
Rail Sidings and Faster Unloading
Bruno Stupello, Santos Brasil’s director of strategic project development, told CNN Brasil the terminal plans to lengthen its rail sidings, the short tracks that feed trains into the terminal, from 400 metres each now to more than 1,000 metres each. CNN Brasil said the company expects the changes to cut container unloading time from 12 hours to three.
The rail yard would grow from 1,600 metres in total to more than 4,000 metres, CNN Brasil said. Stupello expects the work to take two years, and the company has not yet set the cost of the rail works or their exact length and materials.
What Has to Happen First
The proposal still needs approval from the port authority, from Antaq, the national waterway transport regulator, and from the federal audit court TCU (Tribunal de Contas da União), CNN Brasil reported. It also depends on the possibility of renewing the TEV contract early.
The plan also covers Prainha, an area in Guarujá, on the port’s left bank, where families in vulnerable situations live today. CNN Brasil said Santos Brasil describes a joint effort by Guarujá city hall, the São Paulo state government and the port authority to move the residents gradually into new housing.
What It Means for Investors and Shippers
Our report on the 2024 deal, in which the French shipping group CMA CGM agreed to buy Santos Brasil, gives the background. Any gain from the plan depends on the approving bodies accepting the early contract renewal.
Port volumes at Santos are a regular signal for Brazilian trade, as our report on record cargo in early 2026 showed. Santos Brasil’s earlier results and debt plans are in our first-quarter 2025 report.
What Is Not Known
Santos Brasil has not put a cost on the rail works, and the approving bodies have not ruled. The timetable for a decision on the TEV contract renewal is also open.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Santos Brasil plan to invest at the Port of Santos?
Santos Brasil presented a plan of about R$3.5 billion (about US$630 million at R$5.55 per US$) to the port authority on 9 November 2026. CNN Brasil said it covers the container terminal, the vehicle terminal and general cargo handling.
What would the investment change?
Container capacity at Tecon Santos would rise by 1 million TEUs to 4 million a year. Unloading time would fall from 12 hours to three, the company says.
Does the plan need approval?
Yes. The port authority, the regulator Antaq and the federal audit court TCU must approve it, and it depends on early renewal of the vehicle-terminal contract.
Sources: CNN Brasil, 10 November 2026; Agência iNFRA, 9 November 2026.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated AI newsroom. Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief. The Rio Times also runs Ask Rio Times, which answers from 100,000+ of our own articles, the daily Latin America Power Map, and prediction-market odds on elections and markets.. How we use AI · Report an error
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