One of the most immediate consequences of the ongoing trade war between China and the United States was the redirection of part of China’s agricultural imports from U.S. producers to Brazilian agribusiness. However, despite these gains, the U.S. still holds a significant competitive advantage: its logistics infrastructure. Brazil continues to face notable infrastructure bottlenecks, particularly in its port and freight transport capacity. In this scenario, the rising international demand for Brazilian food products could serve as a catalyst for a new wave of investments, especially from foreign capital, aimed at modernizing Brazil’s infrastructure landscape.

In 2025, concessions and public-private partnerships (PPPs) will play a crucial role in Brazil. The federal government plans to attract both domestic and international private capital for long-term, high-impact projects, with a strong emphasis on transport and basic sanitation. Among the highlights is the Ministry of Ports and Airports (MPor), which intends to auction 21 port terminal concessions, representing an estimated BRL 8.54 billion in investments. One of the flagship projects is the Tecon Santos 10 – STS10, a major container terminal at the Port of Santos, projected to receive approximately BRL 5.6 billion in private investment. Across all sectors, infrastructure projects in 2025 are expected to total nearly BRL 175 billion. The government is unlikely to carry out the investments outlined in the New Growth Acceleration Program (PAC) on its own. The participation of private capital will be crucial in driving the expansion of national infrastructure.

From a regulatory perspective, Brazil’s infrastructure sector has undergone a significant institutional evolution over the past three decades. Until 1995, infrastructure investments were almost exclusively public, and business plans often lacked reliable data. Today, the landscape is markedly different. Legal frameworks have been modernized and strengthened, with key milestones such as the Public-Private Partnership Law (2004), the Re-bidding Law (2019), and the New Bidding Law. Tenders and re-tendered projects now come with robust operational data, enhancing legal predictability and the overall economic appeal for investors.

At the same time, regulatory agencies have been empowered, public institutions have improved contract modeling and oversight, and the private sector has developed greater expertise, resulting in more transparent and efficient practices.

"Brazil is no longer a concession laboratory. Today, we are a market with mature stakeholders, updated legal frameworks, better-structured agencies, and realistic databases to support project development." - Claudio Pieruccetti

Brazil now offers a predictable regulatory ecosystem, stronger contracts, and sectors that demand long-term capital—an ideal setting for strategic investors. The boost in agricultural trade prompted by global tariff tensions further increases the urgency of investing in logistics and infrastructure, placing infrastructure and exports as two converging pillars of the new phase in the Brazilian economy.

‍