Brazil's Itajaí Port Delays Public Hearing and Adds Cruise Megaterminal to Lease Plan

The Agência Nacional de Transportes Aquaviários (ANTAQ) postponed the public hearing on the definitive lease of the ITJ01 area at the Port of Itajaí to 6 August, after initially scheduling it for the week of early July. The hearing is part of Consultation and Public Hearing No. 07/2026, aimed at gathering market and civil‑society input before the future auction of the 295,000‑m² terminal used for container and general cargo handling.

In a related move, Brazil's federal government incorporated a mandatory cruise‑megaterminal into the lease proposal. The project, valued at roughly R$ 300 million, will require the concessionaire to invest about R$ 2.6 billion over a 25‑year contract and to complete the passenger‑terminal facilities by the sixth year. The concession will be subject to review by the Tribunal de Contas da União before an auction slated for the first half of 2027. The masterplan was prepared by the civil‑society organization Instituto Mais Itajaí with technical support from WSP.

Both steps are presented as strategic actions to boost the competitiveness of the Southern Brazil port complex and to expand its role in international trade and tourism.