CMA CGM secures Brazilian gateway with terminal operator transaction

Following regulatory approvals from relevant authorities, Marseille-based logistics and shipping giant CMA CGM has closed the acquisition of Santos Brasil Participações, a major Brazilian multi-terminal operator.

As divulged, the company has wrapped up the purchase of 47.9% of the terminal operator. This, added to the 3.1% shares acquired by an affiliate of CMA CGM back in September 2024, translates to the French shipping player becoming Santos Brasil Participações’ majority shareholder with a 51% stake.

As informed, the financing was managed by Opportunity Funds.

With the transaction closed, CMA CGM is set to gain control over operations at South America’s biggest container terminal, Tecon Santos, and several other ‘key’ port facilities in Brazil.

CMA CGM has been a long-time player in the Brazilian maritime sector. The company has steadily expanded its operations in the country, with one step being the purchase of Mercosul Lines, a “major” Brazilian shipping line which now links several large global destinations with weekly services across 14 ports. It has also extended its logistics arm, CEVA Logistics, into the Brazilian market.

In addition to this, in early 2024, CMA CGM’s containership powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) called at the Port of Santos, Brazil, becoming the first unit of this type under the company’s ownership to do so.

As understood, the French firm currently serves over four hundred ports around the world, with a fleet comprising more than 620 vessels. These include the environmentally friendly boxships CMA CGM Tiga and CMA CGM Seine, which were added to their owner’s roster in April 2025.

To remind, at the beginning of March this year, the shipping and logistics major decided to expand its LNG-powered fleet by turning toward China once again with a whopping $2.6 billion order for a dozen dual-fuel LNG container vessels.

The twelve 18,000 TEU units are due to be built by Jiangnan Shipyard, a part of state-owned China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC). They are expected to be handed over in 2028 and 2029.