JBS Terminais Invests R$15.2 Million to Boost Capacity at Port of Itajaí

JBS Terminais, operator of the Port of Itajaí in Santa Catarina, has completed two years at the helm of the terminal with a cumulative investment of nearly R$250 million aimed at rehabilitation, modernization and capacity expansion. The company also announced a new investment of R$15.2 million aimed at modernizing cargo inspection and expanding truck flow, which raised the terminal's capacity to 600,000 TEUs per year.

Since taking over operations, the terminal has handled more than 800,000 TEUs. Between January and September 2026, nearly 500,000 TEUs were handled, 73% more than in the same period of 2022, before operations were suspended. Between the first and second year of operation, throughput grew by 62%, the company reported.

The investment plan includes the commissioning of the Varex VXP6 X-ray scanning equipment, which allows inspection of container interiors without opening them, and the expansion of access gates from eight to ten, along with the addition of two new weighing lanes. Two mobile cranes with a capacity of 125 tons and a reach of up to 20 container rows were also added, along with 14 reach stackers capable of lifting up to 45 tons and stacking five containers, and 25 trucks for internal transfers between the berth and the storage yards. At the same time, work continues on a 25% expansion of the operating yard, following the demolition of the old Warehouse 3 and the incorporation of Area C, which will add 80,000 TEUs of annual capacity.

The terminal currently operates ten regular shipping lines with connections to Asia, Europe, the Americas, the Middle East and Africa. This month it began receiving the ZFS/AS2 service, operated by ZIM and Hapag-Lloyd, which expands direct connection options with Asia. Starting in January 2027, the SEAS2/ESAS2 service is expected to be added, with the participation of carriers CMA CGM, COSCO, OOCL, PIL, Evergreen and Yang Ming.

Reefer cargo infrastructure was expanded to more than 1,700 power outlets, which are relevant for exporters of animal protein such as poultry and pork, among the port's main export cargoes. The company's workforce grew from 77 to 405 employees since operations began, in addition to around 600 indirect jobs. JBS Terminais operates the area under a temporary lease agreement, extended in 2025 for up to two years or until the terminal's future auction, according to Brazil's Federal Court of Accounts (Tribunal de Contas da União).