Port framework under debate demands credit, innovation and less bureaucracy

Experts advocate for new financing lines, R&D policies, and a simpler regulatory environment to unlock investment and maintain competitiveness.

Discussions on the new regulatory framework for the port sector, currently underway in the Chamber of Deputies, should include financing tools and incentives for innovation to ensure long-term competitiveness. This assessment was made by business leaders during a seminar held by the Brazil Export Forum on Wednesday (10) in Paris, as part of Mission France 2025.

Gabriela Costa, executive director of the Association of Private Port Terminals (ATP), advocated the creation of exclusive financing lines for the sector and the possibility of using new credit instruments.

"The FMM (Merchant Marine Fund) is already being well utilized for investments in port infrastructure, but we need to make other forms of fundraising viable, such as social bonds, sustainability bonds, and green bonds, which have existed in Brazil since 2015," he stated.

She also called for the inclusion of public policies to foster research, development, and innovation in the future law. "The Ministry (of Ports and Airports) has been working on this topic, but we need to move forward. Without incentives for innovation, the sector loses competitiveness."

The same concern was raised by Angelino Caputo, executive director of the Brazilian Association of Terminals and Customs Warehouses (Abtra), who highlighted the impact of technological backwardness on the sector's efficiency.

"All other segments of the economy have official research and innovation programs. Future competitiveness will depend on this, and if we don't include this in the law, we'll miss the boat," he warned.

Caputo also criticized the proposal to assign the National Waterway Transportation Agency (Antaq) the authority to regulate empty container depots and bonded retroport terminals. "These activities have been operating for over 40 years without the need for additional regulation. This goes against the grain of red tape reduction," he stated.

The excessive investment requirements were also questioned by Regis Prunzel, CEO of the São Paulo State Port Operators Union (Sopesp). He cited the example of a member who had to obtain authorizations from at least five different agencies—including the Port Authority, the Port Authority, and municipal, state, and federal environmental licensing agencies—to carry out water infrastructure work.

"It's insane. There's a loop of requirements that discourages investment. We need a business environment that provides freedom to undertake and security for those who want to invest heavily in the sector," he stated.