Terminal Link, owned by CMA-CGM and China Merchants, has agreed to buy Brazilian port operator Libra, Container Management reports. Both CMA-CGM and China Merchants have been steadily expanding their Brazilian operations in the past five years. Panjiva data shows that export traffic through the three ports where Libra owns facilities (Santos, Rio de Janeiro and Imbituba) have climbed 5.1% on a year earlier in the past 12 months while imports have expanded 15.5%.

Chart shows outgoing shipments through the Brazilian ports of Santos, Rio de Janeiro and Imbituba. Source: Panjiva

The dominant shipper that Terminal Link will need to negotiate with is Maersk which, along with Hamburg Sud and Alianca, has a 37.8% of terminal traffic in the past 12 months. That’s a common position for Brazil more broadly, as outlined in Panjiva research of December 19. MSC is number two with 20.5% and Hapag-Lloyd third (17.2%). CMA-CGM meanwhile is a distant fourth at 6.7%, though it is a leader on niche routes into the Caribbean and South Africa. Its purchase of Maersk’s cabotage line, Mercosul, will also increase its importance in the region.

Chart segments exports from Santos, Rio de Janeiro and Imbituba by carrier SCAC and country of port of unlading. Source: Panjiva