The Federal Accounts Court (TCU) waded into a high-stakes procurement at the Port of Santos, suspending a bidding process meant to deepen the access channel to Brazil’s busiest harbor. The decision has temporarily halted a project seen as essential to easing bottlenecks at a port that handles more cargo than any other in Latin America.
On Wednesday, the TCU’s board upheld a January 16 ruling by one of its members, Bruno Dantas, suspending a tender to deepen the port’s access channel. Launched last July, the procurement process sought to contract dredging works to increase the channel’s depth to 16 meters, a change considered crucial to accommodate larger vessels.
At issue is how the Santos Port Authority (APS) handled the disqualification of the bidder that offered the lowest price. The Santos Dragagem consortium, led by Etesco Construções e Comércio alongside Neptune Brasil and China’s CHEC Dredging, submitted a proposal of BRL 610 million (USD 114 million). Rival bidders argued that Etesco failed to meet formal requirements, including submitting a cost verification spreadsheet after the deadline.
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