Port of Tubarão

The port is among the fastest iron ore loading terminals in the world, with an average loading rate of 12,000 tonnes per hour and a nominal loading rate of 16,000 tonnes per hour.

History

The construction of the port of Tubarão was started in 1962 by (then a mixed capital company) - Vale do Rio Doce., The year of the signing of the first long-term contracts for the supply of iron ore to Japan and Germany, and its construction was paid for entirely with funds from the National Treasury.

The port of Tubarão was a pioneering project - designed by Eliezer Batista (pt) - which helped create a new global logistics process in the transport of solid and liquid bulk. The participation of Japan in this enterprise was decisive and the construction of the port of Tubarão remains in the memories with sympathy of the Japanese until today:

Here, the pioneering project of the port of Tubarão deserves to be highlighted, which caused the greatest revelation in the global transport of solid and liquid bulk with the consequent evolution, in global terms, of a new system global logistics, which has transformed "physical distance" into "economic distance". It was possible to take a product of very low value over the greatest distances on the planet, economically.

Large bulk carriers and bulk carriers, as well as colossal oil tankers, are the fruits of this concept..

The contribution of the Brazilian steel industry has enabled Companhia Vale do Rio Doce to take a major first step with long-term contracts and technological assistance in the design and construction of large ships (new materials for new designs and their versatility). As a result, Docenave was created, which became the third largest bulk fleet in the world.

Funding

In possession of the iron ore supply contracts, Eliezer turned to Ex-Im Bank, the development bank of the United States, for financing for the construction of the port of Tubarão. But he failed: he came back empty-handed. The American bank did not extend any credit to Brazil, neither to Vale, nor to Japanese steel companies.

He explained his difficulties to the Minister of Finance at the time, during a hearing that has become historic:

Without funding to build the port of Tubarão, Eliezer turned to João Goulart (Jango) Finance Minister San Tiago Dantas. "He got up from his chair, took off those big, black-rimmed glasses, and said," I don't have the resources to lend you, but I'll find a way. Let’s spin the guitar ”. It is recorded here the revelation which will be worth the eternal hatred of the sharp canine monetarists who hate the physical economy. (…) San Tiago had money printed.