Ministers of State Silvio Costa Filho (Ports and Airports) and Márcio França (Entrepreneurship, Microenterprise, and Small Business), along with Minister Bruno Dantas of the Federal Court of Accounts (TCU), who is the rapporteur for the Santos-Guarujá tunnel auction process, visited the Navy pier at the Port of Santos last Thursday (August 21).
Accompanied by other authorities and the president of the Santos Port Authority (APS), Anderson Pomini, Minister Costa Filho signed a partnership between APS and port companies for the construction of two new public berths for liquid bulk. He also participated in the launch of quay construction works for a private terminal — part of the Federal Government’s Growth Acceleration Program (PAC) — delivered a vehicle to the Port Guard, and spoke about the Santos-Guarujá tunnel project. “This is a project that has been awaited for over a hundred years and which, under President Lula’s administration, will finally be implemented, benefiting the entire region,” the minister emphasized.
APS President Anderson Pomini also highlighted the tunnel: “This visit is a historic moment. The presence of Ministers Costa Filho and Márcio França, together with Bruno Dantas, the TCU rapporteur, and business leaders from the Port of Santos, demonstrates the strength of the community in making this project a reality,” said Pomini.
The visit also marked the start of the preliminary surveying for the rock removal (derrocamento) in the estuary, aimed at deepening the navigation channel to 16 meters. The investment, around R$17 million, will enable the port to receive larger vessels and extend the window for ship arrivals, independent of high tide.
The Port of Santos is the largest in Latin America and plays a significant role in Brazil’s trade flows. Below is a historical overview of long-haul container traffic at the Port of Santos from January 2022 to June 2025. The chart was prepared using DataLiner data and considers only long-haul operations, excluding transshipment, cabotage, and other types of movements:
Container Throughput at the Port of Santos | Jan 2022 to Jun 2025 | TEU
Source: DataLiner (Click here to request a demo)
New berths in Alemoa
During the visit, a document was signed establishing a partnership between APS and Port of Santos companies to implement two new public liquid bulk berths in the Alemoa region. The estimated investment is approximately R$ 400 million, with an expected capacity increase of three million tonnes per year.
From the Navy pier, Costa Filho traveled by boat to Guarujá, where he handed over 73 housing units in the Parque da Montanha residential complex. These homes are intended for families who previously lived in precarious conditions on the left bank of the Port of Santos.
Source: APS
