Ship docks in Itajaí with 769 BMW luxury cars and takes port to new record

The Brasilia Highway ship docked on Tuesday afternoon (7) at the Port of Itajaí (SC) with 769 BMW luxury vehicles. The vessel touched the public berth around 1 pm and, with the new stopover, the terminal reached 16,265 cars handled in 2026 by the roll-on/roll-off (Ro-Ro) system, used in the transport of cargo on wheels.

Specializing in this type of operation, the ship does not need cranes: instead of being hoisted, the cars are removed directly from the hold by workers, who drive each unit down the ramp, between the deck and the terminal yard. The same method applies to trucks, buses and machines, which embark and disembark on their own. Because it reduces handling and the risk of damage, the modality is the preferred way to import assembled vehicles.

The scale of the Brasilia Highway adds to a sequence of operations recorded throughout the year. Among the ships that passed through the pier in 2026 are the Victoria Highway, responsible for at least three moorings — of 628, 674 and 767 vehicles —, the Dover Highway, with 457 and 739 units in two trips, and the Good Wood, with 430 cars. The advance follows the broader recovery of the complex, which closed 2025 with 4.76 million tons handled and, in the first four months of 2026 alone, totaled 1.67 million tons — about 40% more than a year earlier.

The resumption was made possible by the dredging of the access channel, completed in 2025, which returned the port to the depth necessary to receive large ships. Under operation by JBS Terminais since October 2024, the terminal serves importers and exporters from 21 states and the Federal District and expects R$ 844 million in investments between 2025 and 2030. The landing of imported cars reinforces the complex’s bet on high value-added cargo.

For the superintendent of the Port of Itajaí, Artur Antunes Pereira, the current pace reflects the consolidation of the public terminal. “After the resumption of operations, the Port of Itajaí advances to a new stage: consolidation. We are recovering high value-added cargo, expanding movement and demonstrating, in practice, that the public port is once again competitive, efficient and strategic for Brazilian logistics,” he said.