CADE issues updated study on ports services in Brazil

On 30 September, the Administrative Council for Economic Defense (CADE) issued an updated study on port services markets. This is the 21st volume of the series “Cadernos do Cade”, a reviewed version of the edition published in 2017, which focuses on port services markets identified and analysed by the agency. 

The new edition presents an overview of the ports sector in the Brazilian economy, with relevant aspects of sectoral regulations, describing analyses and decisions of the agency in cases of mergers and anticompetitive conducts.

The document points out that ports are essential structures for the proper functioning of the Brazilian economy. In 2021, they were responsible for handling 98% of Brazil's exports and 92% of imports.

According to the publication, ports are not autonomous structures, but part of a logistic chain including road, railway, and waterborne transportation, as well as storage terminals, and shipping agencies. Also, public bodies regulate activities regarding security, environment, and import customs. Thus, the competitive advantage of a port depends not only on the location and efficiency, but also on the integration with several links of the supply chain.

In the last edition of the study on port services markets, CADE analysed the period from 1999 to 2016. In the updated edition, there are 36 merger cases and six administrative proceedings until 2023, in addition to updated statistics and market regulations.

Ms Lílian Marques, Chief Economist, emphasised the importance of updating institutional publications. “The idea is to maintain this procedure, so that information about CADE´s activities in a specific sector, such as the new edition on ports services, are reliable and updated for the internal and external public”, she stated.

Cadernos do Cade

First issued in 2014, Cadernos do Cade is a series of documents that the Department of Economic Studies regularly publishes to consolidate, systematise, and disclose CADE’s case law related to a specific market – considering the market’s economic and competitive aspects.

The study guides CADE towards its institutional mission of providing technical and practical knowledge, and contributing to academic works related to antitrust matters.

The reviewed and updated edition of the study “Mercados de Serviços Portuários” is available here in Portuguese.