Brazil’s plan to supercharge exports through port expansion programme
Brazil is expanding its trade infrastructure as it seeks to build on a record $ 348.7 billion of exports last year.
The Brazilian port sector is experiencing one of its most dynamic stages of expansion and logistical modernisation.
Driven by the advancement of agribusiness and the need to optimise mineral and industrial exports, the country projects capital injections that could exceed the R$ 96 billion mark (nearly US$ 20 billion) in port investments by 2030.
A wide range of companies are involved in these projects including the flagship development of Cedro Participações, which obtained an environmental license to invest more than US$ 700 million in Porto do Meio, reinforcing iron ore exports in Itaguaí.
The Ministry of Ports and Airports (MPor), is offering public contributions to attract private capital in a bid to facilitate more than $6 billion in lease contracts.
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The mineral sector, as one of Brazil’s most important industries, is playing a leading role. Brazil shipped a record 416 million tonnes of iron ore in 2025, its first year above 400 million.
The country accounts for almost a quarter of global supply.
Cedro Participações is preparing to begin construction works on Porto do Meio, located at the Port of Itaguaí in the Metropolitan Region of Rio de Janeiro.
"Porto do Meio is not just a project for the next three or five years, but a strategic transformation vector for the coming decades that will significantly increase the competitiveness of the mineral industry in Brazil," said Lucas Kallas, Chairman of Cedro International.
The latest news comes days after the State Council for Environmental Policy of Minas Gerais (Copam) approved licenses to expand Cedro's mine in Mariana, with projected investments of almost $700 million.
“The combination of expanding the export capacity of agricultural and mineral commodities with public sector concessions positions Brazil strategically to enhance foreign trade competitiveness in the coming years,” said José Carlos Martins, Chairman of the Board of Directors at Cedro Participações.
With an estimated investment of around $720 million, Cedro's private iron ore terminal will have an initial capacity to handle 15 million metric tons per year.
The company secured the area in a government auction in December 2024 and signed a 35-year lease two months later.
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Porto do Meio will be built from scratch over a 350,000 square meter area between terminals operated by Vale and CSN. It will include a berthing slot, storage yard, and rail access connected to the MRS Logística network.
The new port will break the traditional dominance of the largest mining companies, giving Cedro, control of its own route from source to the sea, while offering spare capacity to other independent producers in the so-called Iron Quadrangle in Minas Gerais
The three-year project promises to create around 3,000 jobs at the peak of construction, as well as generating as much as $235 million in tax revenue for neighbouring municipalities over the concession period.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
