The American Association of Port Authorities for Latin America and the Caribbean (AAPA LATAM) chose Brazil as the starting point for its 2025 Tour – Second Semester , a gesture that transcends the symbolic and reflects the strategic place the South American giant occupies in regional port architecture. Leading the agenda was Juan Andrés Duarte, the association’s executive president, who toured Brazil’s main port hubs, from Antonina and Paranaguá to Santos and the modern BTP terminal.
The underlying message is clear: Brazil is not only a hub for record investments and expansion projects, but also a platform for innovation, sustainability, and regional cooperation . The visit to Porto Ponta do Félix, for example, demonstrated how FTSpar’s expansion projects aim for safe and sustainable operations, strengthening the competitiveness of Brazilian foreign trade. This emphasis connects with a growing trend in Latin America: ports can no longer be limited to simply moving cargo; they must become catalysts for added value and logistical efficiency.
The port stopover at Portos do Paraná highlighted a dynamic that deserves regional attention. With investments exceeding 650 million Brazilian reals (approximately US$130 million), the port is moving toward the construction of rail infrastructure that will increase bulk cargo handling fivefold. This project is not only a local achievement, but a model of how the port-railway partnership can redefine supply chains on a continent where reliance on trucking remains an operational burden.
The tour also served to articulate political and business wills. The meeting within the framework of the ABEPH Itinerant Assembly and the participation in the National and International Seminar on Ports of Brazil demonstrated how the country seeks to consolidate itself as a hub for multilateral cooperation. There, topics such as sustainability, modern regulatory frameworks, and investment attraction were presented as urgent priorities for a region that still faces regulatory and bureaucratic gaps that limit its competitiveness.
The port’s passage through the Santos Port Authority (APS), the largest port in Latin America , confirmed Brazil’s role as a regional bellwether. Santos not only tops the rankings for cargo handling, but also seeks to establish itself as a model of governance and collaboration with other Latin American terminals. This point is crucial: without synergies between ports in the region, the growing pressure of global trade could dilute opportunities for Latin America compared to more integrated logistics corridors in Asia and Europe.
Likewise, the visit to Brasil Terminal Portuário (BTP) and participation in the sustainable ports forum organized by Grupo Tribuna reveal a discourse that transcends national borders: sustainability is no longer optional. The proximity of COP30 in Brazil provides a strategic dimension, as it places the regional port industry before the challenge of aligning investments and regulations with global environmental commitments.
Juan Andrés Duarte himself summed it up clearly: “The future of the port industry is built together, and Brazil is an example of the strength and vision we share as a region.” However, a critical reading requires a qualification: while Brazil is moving forward with robust projects and recognized institutions, many neighboring countries lack the resources, political will, or regulatory stability necessary to replicate these models. The risk is that the gap will widen and cooperation will become asymmetrical, with Brazil as the driving force and other ports relegated to secondary roles.
In this sense, AAPA LATAM’s 2025 Tour marks a wake-up call. The association seeks to “support its members 365 days a year,” but the real challenge will be turning Brazilian best practices into a regional standard. Only then will Latin America be able to articulate a competitive, innovative, and sustainable port system that goes from being reactive to becoming a player in global supply chains.
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