Since taking over operations at the Port of Itajaí (SC) in October 2024, JBS Terminais has invested R$130 million in the terminal, which currently serves around 1,700 customers. The investments consolidate the company as one of the main logistics complexes in the south of the country, with a growth projection and new investments of R$90 million in technology and infrastructure. Since the start of the concession, the enterprise has handled a monthly average of 20,000 TEUs (Twenty Feet Equivalent Unit, a benchmark in the sector), totaling 143,230 TEUs.
“In a short space of time, we’ve managed to restore Itajaí to prominence as an efficient and competitive terminal. We are in the process of ramping up volumes and our priority is to deliver excellent services to our customers,” says Aristides Russi Junior, president of JBS Terminais.
In an area of 180,000 square meters, the JBS terminal has 1,030 meters of quay, four berths and a depth of 14 meters, allowing large vessels to operate. There are 1,750 outlets for reefer containers and eight reversible gates. The investments should bring the operation closer to its current handling capacity of up to 558,000 TEUs/year.
The terminal has seven shipping lines and eight weekly calls. From June 2025, the operation will have new international routes, such as GS1, which will connect South America to the Gulf of Mexico. The route will optimize the export of products such as wood, frozen meat, ceramics and machinery, and the import of plastics, rubbers and chemical products. The arrival of the CMA CGM Mercosur Line in June also strengthens the terminal’s connectivity.
According to Wesley Batista, shareholder and member of the Board of Directors of JBS, the federal government has opened up the global market for Brazilian exports, which makes investments in ports even more important. “Brazil needs modern ports to transport all of its production,” he says. “To give you an idea, half of the chicken and pork exported by Brazil leaves from the Port of Itajaí. That’s why it’s an honor for us to be here.”
JBS Terminais generates around R$7 million in ISS for the municipality. The company has 334 direct employees and 350 Freelance Port Workers (TPAs). Cargo distribution from October 2024 to April 2025 included 33% in dry and reefer imports, 24% in dry exports, 17% in reefer exports and 26% in cabotage, transshipment and other categories.
The R$90 million investment will be made to modernize the terminal’s operations with the acquisition of two Konecranes Gottwald ESP.9 MHC mobile cranes. The equipment has a capacity of 125 tons and a reach of 20 rows. In addition, the company is testing Terminal Tractor (TT) type electric trucks, with a view to electrifying the fleet for greater efficiency, safety and reduced emissions.
JBS Terminais has also begun the process of densifying the complex, taking over the unified management of Itajaí’s public port. This initiative aims to generate operational gains by eliminating bottlenecks, reducing urban impact and speeding up cargo transit in the region.
“Our global experience, forged over decades of exporting JBS products to more than 180 countries, and the knowledge acquired from large-scale logistics operations at companies like BrasKarne are differentiators that we apply on a daily basis in Itajaí. Added to this expertise is the logistics operation of Eldorado Celulose, which belongs to the J&F group, JBS’s controlling shareholder. This know-how allows us to offer a terminal that is not only efficient but also strategic for the flow of Brazilian foreign trade,” says the president of JBS Terminais.
JBS Terminais’ operations in Itajaí reflect the strong and consolidated presence of JBS in Santa Catarina. JBS accounts for 2.47% of Santa Catarina’s GDP, with a production impact of R$ 24.3 billion in the state. With a presence in 22 cities, it directly employs more than 25,000 employees, as well as 2,700 families of integrated producers. In addition to the port terminal, the company operates 25 factories, a biotechnology innovation center, four farms, a JBS Transportadora operation, three distribution centers and five hatcheries.
