Santos, SP – In September 2024, the city of Santos, home to Latin America’s largest port, welcomed a historic milestone for the global port sector with the launch of the International Association for Port Development (IAPORTS). The first international association for the sector to be established in Latin America, IAPORTS was founded in the traditional Commercial Association of Santos, a focal point for foreign trade for over a century.
IAPORTS emerged with a clear and strategic mission: to strengthen collaboration between the main players in the port chain, stimulate the development of new businesses, attract essential investment and drive innovation and sustainability in the sector. The initiative has nine prominent founding members, including Portos do Paraná, Brazilian Association of Ports and Waterways (ABEPH), Santos Port Authority, Portos Rio, and the Suape Port Industrial Complex and the Company of Port Administration from Maranhão (EMAP – Porto do Itaqui). They are joined by two institutional members, Companhia Docas do Estado da Bahia (CODEBA) and Companhia Docas do Rio Grande do Norte (CODERN), forming a solid alliance in search of progress in the sector.
“IAPORTS was born as an international association based in Latin America, in the city where its largest port is located and with founding members who are great examples of operational excellence in the port sector,” said Raquel Kibrit, the association’s Executive Director. “We want to be the main reference for growth and innovation in the port sector, positioning our members as global leaders in a constantly evolving scenario.”
In addition to organizing international events and developing specialized content for the sector, IAPORTS also offers business opportunities and strategic networking for its members, facilitating the expansion and consolidation of ports in global markets. The association promotes the creation of branches and committees, both in Brazil and abroad, as a way of broadening its impact and connecting industry leaders with best practices.
“IAPORTS, which aims to bring together all the players in the sector in Brazil at an international level, seeking better management, efficiency, modernization and overcoming the common challenges of the member ports, will be a vital tool in ensuring growth, reliability and competitiveness for the country in the world,” said Mauro Sammarco, President of the Santos Trade Association (ACS).
The city of Santos was chosen strategically. With a throughput of 140 million tons, representing 30% of Brazil’s foreign trade, the Port of Santos is considered to be a logistical hub of great importance for the region’s economy.
For the President of the Santos Port Authority, Anderson Pomini, “the strengthening and exchange of port activities in Latin America will be the immediate consequence of the creation of an international port association in Latin America, above all based in the city of Santos, which is the largest port in the Southern Hemisphere”. He adds that the enhancement of initiatives and the improvement of the relationship between port authorities will be achieved through discussions on “logistical issues, modernization of ports, learning in the port-city relationship, process improvements, decarbonization, among many other important agendas. AQUI would be dealt with in this association that would bring together countries with many similarities, both in commercial, logistical and cultural aspects”.
The Association is open to public, private and non-profit organizations that are part of the port supply chain. Joining IAPORTS offers access to international business opportunities, investment support and regulatory support, as well as giving organizations global visibility, integrating them into a movement focused on innovation and sustainability in the port sector.
For more details, visit the website: www.iaports.com
PRESS INFORMATION:
IAPORTS: International Association for Port Development
Rua XV de Novembro, 137, Room 1. Historical Center – Santos. Brazil.
