Porto Itapoá is nearing completion of a R$333 million dredging project in Babitonga Bay, designed to deepen the access channel from 14 to 16 meters and accommodate vessels up to 366 meters long. The terminal’s strategy is to use that capacity to compete for container cargo now routed through Santos and Paranaguá, particularly industrial and agricultural goods from southern and southeastern Brazil.¹

The project is financed largely by the private terminal, which is contributing R$300 million, with R$33 million from the public Port of São Francisco do Sul. Itapoá is expected to be reimbursed through 2037 from additional tariff revenue generated as traffic grows. The dredging, scheduled for completion in the second half of 2026, would allow ships to carry fuller loads rather than reduce cargo to navigate a shallower channel.²

Port officials present the work as a competitiveness measure. Guilherme Medeiros, operations director at São Francisco do Sul, said it will “expand operational capacity, reduce costs for users and raise the competitiveness of the ports.”¹ Itapoá is also investing about R$500 million in yards, cranes, refrigerated-container facilities and truck access, aiming to increase annual capacity from roughly 1.8 million to about 2 million TEUs.

But the Federation of Industries of Santa Catarina offers a more conditional assessment. Its logistics representative, Maurício Battistella, said the upgrade “creates the necessary condition for cost reductions, but does not by itself guarantee a full pass-through to industry.”¹

That distinction is central to the comparison with Santos and Paranaguá. Those ports retain advantages in scale, service frequency, international connections and land-side infrastructure. For Itapoá, lower maritime costs will matter only if larger vessels actually call, carriers compete, direct routes expand, and the BR-101, BR-280 and SC-416 corridors — alongside limited rail use — can handle more cargo. The likely prize, Fiesc argues, is targeted gains in specific routes and container segments rather than overtaking Santos in total volume.¹