The development of inland waterway transport and the consolidation of the Arco Norte corridors are directly linked to privately operated terminals (TUPs). “The approval of the Ports Law at the end of 2013 opened the market so that terminals, which until then were for private use only, could handle third-party cargo. After the law was approved, there were around 50 applications to install TUPs, many of them in the region, as well as orders for barges and tugboats. “And this boosted activity in the Amazon region, leading to a drop in freight rates compared with the Southeast. These investments came entirely from the private sector, which realized that using the Arco Norte route was better and cheaper,” said Hito Braga de Moraes, director of the Technology Institute at the Federal University of Pará (UFPA).
Sources: Valor Econômico/Datamar News