Port of Itajaí connects SC to the world in chicken exports

Terminal handles refrigerated containers and ensures Santa Catarina's poultry industry is present in more than 120 countries

Agribusiness is one of Santa Catarina's greatest economic strengths, and poultry farming plays a central role within this sector. Located in the South region, the country's main chicken-producing hub, the state stands out both in Brazil and abroad. In this context, the Port of Itajaí has ​​established itself as a strategic link, allowing Santa Catarina's protein to reach markets on different continents.

The Santa Catarina chicken that leaves the Port of Itajaí supplies markets on different continents. Today, more than 120 countries receive chicken from the state. In 2025, the main destinations were the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, China, and Japan; demanding and diverse markets that confirm the quality of Brazilian production and the terminal's importance as a gateway for the global food trade.

From January to July this year, Santa Catarina's exports totaled more than R$37.8 billion (US$6.95 billion), with movement of 5.49 million tons.

The Minister of Ports and Airports, Silvio Costa Filho, emphasizes the terminal's importance to Santa Catarina and Brazil. "The Port of Itajaí is fundamental to the economy of thousands of families in Santa Catarina, who make their living from agro-industrial production, and is strategic for national logistics. Since we resumed management, our commitment has been to ensure investment and predictability for operators and exporters. The results are already showing."

The main focus of Santa Catarina's poultry industry is the western region of the state, accounting for approximately 80% of chicken and pork production. This is where the main slaughterhouses are concentrated, located between 380 km and 680 km from the Port of Itajaí, according to the Ministry of Development, Industry, Commerce and Services (MDIC), with data systematized by the Center for Socioeconomics and Agricultural Planning (Epagri/Cepa) of the state of Santa Catarina.

The route to the coast is mainly via federal highways BR-282 and BR-470, where loaded refrigerated trucks travel daily. This constant flow of cargo ensures that produce reaches the port while maintaining a rigorous cold chain, an essential condition for meeting the health and quality requirements of international markets.

Jobs and social impact

There are over 90,000 direct jobs in the meat agribusiness industry, and nearly 20,000 producers integrated into primary production. When indirect jobs—transportation, inputs, and associated services—are added, hundreds of thousands of people depend on this production chain throughout the state.

Each container shipped in Itajaí also carries the efforts of thousands of families who have transformed poultry farming into a driver of economic and social development.

According to the Santos Port Authority, currently responsible for managing the complex, between January and July 2025, the port shipped 7,713 containers of frozen chicken, totaling 243,984 tons. The product represented almost 20% of all containers handled during the period, solidifying its position as Itajaí's main commodity.

This leadership reinforces the terminal's role as a hub specializing in meat exports, especially frozen chicken, a product that accounts for 60% of Santa Catarina's poultry exports.

Modernization and strengthening

The Port of Itajaí's performance in 2025 is linked not only to the productive strength of western Santa Catarina, but also to the reorganization process led by the Ministry of Ports and Airports (MPor). After a period of shutdown in 2022, the terminal returned to federal government management in January 2025, when it recorded a historic recovery: between January and June, 1.859 million tons were handled, compared to 104,100 in the same period the previous year.

To sustain this trajectory, the MPor announced investments of R$689 million through 2026 in infrastructure projects, such as dredging, retrofitting the Navegantes Pier, works in the Evolution Basin, power reinforcement, and other improvements that directly impact refrigerated container logistics. By 2030, the modernization package is expected to reach R$844 million, including the construction of a cruise ship pier.

Another important step was the creation of a Technical Working Group tasked with structuring Itajaí's future Port Authority (Companhia Docas), which will grant administrative autonomy to the complex. This measure provides greater predictability and security for operators, lessees, and exporters who depend on the terminal.

Beyond logistics

More than just a shipping facility, the Port of Itajaí symbolizes the connection between Santa Catarina's productive interior and consumers from around the world. Each ship departing from the terminal carries not only frozen chicken but also the result of decades of work and investment in a production chain that generates jobs, income, and international recognition for Brazil.

With ongoing modernization and the consolidation of its management, Itajaí is projecting itself not only as a strategic port for Santa Catarina's poultry industry, but as a central player in the effort to position Brazil among the world leaders in food production and exports.