The Minister of Ports and Airports, Tomé Franca, stated this Wednesday (20) that the federal government has a unified position on the Tecon Santos 10 auctionthe mega container terminal planned for the Port of Santos (SP).
“The government does not have two positions, the government has a single position” he stated.
The speech comes amid internal disagreements over the bidding model for the terminal, considered one of the main port projects in the country.
Recently, – ship owners – unrestrictedly and terminals already installed in the Port of Santos, as long as the company sells its current assets before the event.
The change occurred after the project as it allowed so-called incumbents to participate only in a second stage.
On that occasion, the Court of Auditors added a recommendation also restricting the entry of shipowners in the second stage of the dispute.
The changes proposed by the Civil House increased the impasses within the government and between the bodies involved in the process. The ministers of the Court of Auditors even said in a vote that relevant changes after the Court’s analysis require a new submission of the project to the court.
Antaq’s general director, Frederico Dias, also stated that, if the agency accepts the changes suggested by the Civil House, the process should return to the TCU as it is a new concession model. As an independent agency, Antaq has the autonomy to comply or not with the guidelines sent by the federal government.
Competition debate
Tecon Santos 10 has been facing discussions since 2022, when the project began to be structured.
At the time, the then Ministry of Economy took a stance against the creation of a new container terminal in the area, generating disagreements with the former Ministry of Infrastructure.
With the change of government, in 2023, the proposal to create the megaterminal was abandoned. The Lula government began studying the expansion of the Port of Santos polygon to nearby areas. The following year, however, the Ministry of Ports and Airports resumed studies for the concession of the terminal.
One of the main points of conflict involves the risk of economic concentration in the Port of Santos. In a statement made in 2025, Cade warned that the participation of terminals and shipowners already installed in the port could increase market concentration in the container sector.
Asked whether the new Civil House directive contradicts Cade’s understanding, Tomé Franca stated that the ministry’s expectation is to “seek a model that meets and answers all the doubts that are being raised, whether by the market, by the agency, by the Court of Auditors and also by Cade”. The minister also declared that what cannot happen is for one body to “usurp” the competence of another.
