BRAZIL Trends and Developments Contributed by: Livia Sancio and Alice Studart, Salomão Advogados
Infrastructure and Logistics Alternatives: Sector Development With Legal Certainty Brazil, with its extensive coastline, is a maritime pow - erhouse and home to some of the largest ports in Latin America. In 2024, the country handled more than 1.3 billion tonnes of cargo, and approximately 1.2 billion tonnes between January and October 2025, placing Brazil among the world’s largest logistics and trade markets. These figures underscore Brazil’s strategic relevance to global trade, particularly in the export of commodities, oil and gas products, agricultural goods and containerised cargo. Although consolidated official data for 2025 are still being finalised, partial figures suggest that port activ - ity maintained a strong growth trajectory throughout the year. In response to increasing cargo volumes and persistent logistical bottlenecks, Brazil has pursued a series of investments in port infrastructure and inten - sified dialogue with the private sector. Despite these efforts, the multiplicity of regulatory rules issued by different public authorities, together with their frequent amendment, continues to pose challenges to legal and regulatory predictability – an issue that remains particularly relevant heading into 2026. One of the most anticipated milestones is the mega- auction of the Santos 10 Container Terminal (Tecon 10), scheduled for March 2026. The project involves a minimum estimated investment of approximately BRL6.4 billion and provides for a 25-year concession term, with the ambition of significantly expanding con - tainer handling capacity at Santos – the largest port complex in Latin America. The initiative is intended to strengthen Brazil’s position in global container trade, enhance national logistics competitiveness and attract long-term private investment. The Expansion of Cabotage Shipping as a Logistics Strategy Despite the considerable potential and length of Brazil’s coastline, cabotage shipping continues to account for a relatively modest share of the national transport matrix. Recent data indicate that cabotage represents approximately 12% of domestic transport, a limited proportion given the country’s extensive coastal geography.
Road transport remains the dominant mode within Brazil’s logistics system, with significant implications for costs and greenhouse gas emissions. Against this backdrop, the expansion of cabotage is increasingly viewed as a central pillar of Brazil’s strategy for logis - tics modernisation and transport decarbonisation. To support this development, in 2025 Brazil enacted the decree regulating the “BR do Mar” programme, an initiative designed to modernise cabotage legislation, stimulate competition and enhance market efficien - cy. The programme introduces more flexible rules for the chartering of foreign-flagged vessels and creates incentives for the entry of new market participants. The regulatory framework also includes provisions aimed at encouraging the use of sustainable vessels and reducing emissions in the maritime sector. It is expected that, in 2026, supplementary ordinances will further define the criteria and guidelines applicable to “green vessels” in cabotage operations, reinforcing the sector’s environmental commitments. Inland Waterway Navigation Within the broader agenda of logistics diversification, inland waterway navigation has emerged as a viable alternative to reduce costs and improve efficiency in domestic cargo flows. The first waterway concession auctions are expected to take place in 2026, mark - ing a significant institutional shift, as many of these waterways have historically been managed directly by the public sector. The Ministry of Ports and Airports has indicated that the new concession model seeks to attract private investment and expand the role of inland navigation within Brazil’s logistics matrix. As a transport mode that emits up to five times less greenhouse gases than road transport, inland waterways also offer strong potential for integration with international routes, particularly those connecting Brazil to neighbouring markets such as Argentina and Uruguay via the Para - guay River, thereby enhancing the competitiveness of Brazilian agribusiness. Decarbonisation and Energy Transition Maritime transport accounts for approximately 90% of global trade while contributing around 3% of global
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