Antaq Moves Forward in Brazil with the Country's First Integrated Waterway Concession

On October 7, 2026, Brazil's National Waterway Transportation Agency (Antaq) held in Rio Grande (RS) the second session of the public hearing to discuss the concession of the Integrated Waterway System of the South and Lagoa Mirim (SAI/SAIP Sul-Mirim), the country's first integrated waterway concession project. The proposal brings together in a single contract, with an initial term of 25 years, the ports of Rio Grande, Pelotas and Porto Alegre along with the waterways of Lagoa dos Patos, the Guaíba and Lagoa Mirim, and the São Gonçalo Channel.

According to details provided by Antaq and the Ministry of Ports and Airports, the project also includes stretches of the Jacuí, Caí, dos Sinos and Gravataí rivers, covering a total of approximately 510 kilometers of navigable waterways. The concession provides for dredging works on navigation channels, periodic hydrographic surveys, installation and maintenance of nautical signaling, and improvements to navigation safety, with the stated goal of increasing operational reliability, strengthening logistics integration between waterway and maritime modes, and stimulating regional economic development.

The in-person session in Rio Grande sought to bring the debate closer to the local reality and expand participation from the community and the sector. A total of 68 participants registered to submit input on the proposal, of whom 35 attended in person and made contributions and inquiries. Antaq reported that the public consultation remains open until October 14 to receive input through an online form.

During the meeting, the Brazilian Association of Port Terminals (ABTP), represented by Antônio Carlos Bacchieri, questioned an "imbalance in resource allocation" in the project's cross-subsidy structure, noting that Rio Grande users would end up financing investments earmarked for the Lagoa Mirim Waterway. Bacchieri pointed out that this waterway accounts for 67% of the capex projected for the concession, with roughly half of that amount earmarked for the dam and lock of the São Gonçalo Channel, the project's most expensive item, equivalent to 33% of total investment. In response, Guilherme Mores of Infra S.A., responsible for the studies, acknowledged that the study would be adjusted to remove about R$ 50 million in dredging capex, which would instead be carried out by DNIT using public funds, leaving around R$ 46 million to revitalize the dam and lock.

Fernando José Fuscaldo of Sindanave-RS argued that the base tariff used in the studies does not reflect reality, since the port authority currently applies a 35% discount, while Antaq is promoting a reduction of around 10% following the concession. Mores explained that the modeling reduces the full tariff by approximately 10%, with an additional 5% discount set out in the contract while the concessionaire has not yet completed the capex, which would bring the estimated reduction on the current full tariff to around 21%, compared to the current 35%. ABTP also asked whether the new tax framework, including the IBS and CBS, had been factored into the projections, to which Mores replied that those future tax rates had not yet been included in the calculations presented at the hearing.

Despite the criticism, the session generally had a moderate tone, with questions and some praise, including from Uruguayan businesspeople present, one of whom proposed creating a binational committee given the importance of Lagoa Mirim as the Uruguay-Brazil Waterway. A request raised at the first hearing, held in Brasília in August, was also revisited, calling for the concession to include deepening of the access channels to the Port of Rio Grande, which would allow vessels—particularly container ships—to transit with more cargo or with larger ships.