Brazil’s regional court TRF-3 has suspended the tender for a truck logistics complex at the Port of Santos. The decision, granted on June 16 and released on Tuesday (23), responds to an appeal by the Brazilian Association of Container Terminals, Abratec, which is challenging the use of the area for that purpose.
The tender was held by the Santos Port Authority, or APS, in December 2025, with the Portlog consortium declared the winner. The contract was signed on June 11.
In the ruling, Federal Judge Nery Júnior cited possible irregularities in the bidding process, especially regarding the classification of the area. According to the decision, the proposed use may be inconsistent with the port’s 2020 Development and Zoning Plan, known as the PDZ. Any change in the use of the area, the judge said, would require a formal revision of the plan.
The judge also pointed to possible restrictions on due process and free competition, noting that only one bid had been submitted.
Abratec had already obtained an injunction suspending the tender in December last year, but that decision was overturned in May, allowing the bidding process to be ratified. TRF-3 has now ordered the suspension again.
APS President Anderson Pomini said the measure should be reversed in the coming days and defended the strategic importance of the area for the expansion of the Port of Santos.
The site covers 242,000 square meters on Avenida Augusto Barata, between the Alemoa and Saboó districts. It is located across from Brasil Terminal Portuário, or BTP, and close to the future Tecon Santos 10 container terminal.
The project calls for a logistics complex with a truck staging yard, as well as services and support areas for drivers.
Source: A Tribuna
