Amsterdam/Candeias, August 2026 —One of the most remarkable port transactions of this year is unfolding at the intersection of two continents, with the Netherlands as its legal anchor.
On 23 July 2026, International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI), through its wholly owned subsidiary ICTSI Americas B.V., signed a stock purchase and sale agreement with SIMPAR S.A. and CS Brasil Holding e Locação S.A. for the acquisition of two bulk terminals in the state of Bahia, in northeastern Brazil.
What makes this transaction particularly significant for the Dutch port world is that the buyer is no stranger to the sector.
ICTSI Americas B.V. is a Dutch holding company that serves as the European financing and investment arm of the Manila-based global conglomerate ICTSI. International Container Terminal Services, Inc. is a global port management company headquartered in Manila, the Philippines.
The fact that a Filipino group is executing its major Brazilian expansion through a Dutch BV illustrates the enduring appeal of the Netherlands as an international holding location within global logistics.
The Deal in Figures
The total enterprise value of the transaction amounts to approximately 1.8 billion Brazilian reals — roughly equivalent to 353 million dollars — broken down into 750 million reals in equity value and approximately 1 billion reals in net debt carried on the asset’s balance sheet. On top of the base payment, an additional earn-out payment of 100 million reals is provided for, payable upon the achievement of certain milestones within 18 months of the closing of the transaction.
Two Strategic Terminals
The deal concerns the adjacent ATU-12 and ATU-18 terminals at the Port of Aratu, in the municipality of Candeias, state of Bahia. The terminals primarily handle the import and export of agricultural products and operate under long-term public lease agreements.
Terminal ATU-12 is configured for the import of fertilizers and mineral bulk cargo, with a capacity of six million tonnes per year. Terminal ATU-18 is dedicated to grain exports, with a capacity of 3.5 million tonnes per year. Together, the installed capacity reaches 9.5 million metric tonnes per year, and the facilities have received more than 900 million reals in prior investment.
Connection to Brazil’s Hinterland
The Port of Aratu is no ordinary bulk terminal. The location connects the Matopiba agricultural region — one of the world’s fastest-growing farming areas, situated on the border of the states of Maranhão, Tocantins, Piauí and Bahia — directly to global markets via the Centro-Atlântica Railway. ICTSI states that both terminals have recently completed a comprehensive modernisation and expansion programme, positioning them to handle rising agricultural cargo volumes in the region.
The transaction remains subject to approval by Brazil’s antitrust regulator CADE and the relevant sectoral authorities.
Sources
• Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide — ICTSI acquires dry bulk port terminal concessions for ATU12 and ATU18 at Aratu Port, Bahia, Brazil (23 July 2026): https://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/ictsi-acquires-dry-bulk-port-terminal-concessions-for-atu12-and-atu18-at-aratu-port-bahia-brazil/
• Rio Times Online — Simpar Port Sale to ICTSI Values Bahia Ports at US$353M (July 2026): https://www.riotimesonline.com/simpar-port-sale-ictsi-bahia-deleveraging/
• DatamarNews — Simpar sells Bahia port terminals to ICTSI in R$1.8 billion deal (July 2026): https://datamarnews.com/noticias/simpar-sells-bahia-port-terminals-to-ictsi-in-r1-8-billion-deal/
• DredgeWire — ICTSI Brazil unit acquires concessions for 2 terminals in Aratu Port (July 2026): https://dredgewire.com/ictsi-brazil-unit-acquires-concessions-for-2-terminals-in-aratu-port/
• ICTSI — Official website: https://www.ictsi.com/
• The Manila Times — ICTSI buys Brazil port concessions for $129M (25 July 2026): https://www.manilatimes.net/2026/07/25/business/corporate-news/ictsi-buys-brazil-port-concessions-for-129m/2391218
