UN/LOCODE: BRARB📍 Brazil

Port of Aratu (UN/LOCODE BRARB)

❖ Coordinates: -12.7856°N, -38.4561°E

❖ Time Zone: America/Fortaleza

❖ UN/LOCODE: BRARB

## About the Port The Port of Aratu, identified by the UN/LOCODE BRARB, is a pivotal maritime facility situated in the state of Bahia, Brazil. Strategically positioned within the expansive Baía de Todos os Santos (All Saints Bay) at coordinates -12.7855854 Latitude and -38.4560755 Longitude, the port operates within the America/Fortaleza timezone. Managed by Companhia Docas do Estado da Bahia (CODEBA), Aratu functions primarily as a specialized industrial port, serving as a critical logistics hub for the petrochemical, chemical, and fertilizer industries of Brazil's Northeast region, particularly the adjacent Camaçari Petrochemical Complex (COPEC). Its deep-water access and robust infrastructure facilitate the handling of a diverse range of liquid and solid bulk cargoes, making it indispensable for both domestic distribution and international trade flows. The port's strategic location near major industrial zones and its capacity for high-volume bulk operations underscore its significance in the national maritime logistics network. ## History The genesis of the Port of Aratu is intrinsically linked to Brazil's industrialization efforts, particularly the establishment and expansion of the Camaçari Petrochemical Complex (COPEC) in the 1970s. Prior to Aratu's development, maritime logistics for the rapidly growing industrial base in Bahia were largely reliant on the Port of Salvador, which had limitations in specialized bulk handling and industrial proximity. Recognizing the imperative for a dedicated port to support the burgeoning petrochemical and industrial sectors, the Port of Aratu was conceived and developed as a purpose-built facility. Its operational inauguration marked a significant shift, providing the industrial complex with direct and efficient access to sea lanes for raw material imports and finished product exports. Over decades, the Port of Aratu has undergone successive phases of expansion and modernization, adapting its infrastructure to accommodate increasing trade volumes and evolving cargo demands. Key historical developments include the deepening of its access channels, construction of specialized terminals, and the integration of advanced cargo handling technologies, solidifying its role as a cornerstone of industrial maritime logistics in Brazil. ## Infrastructure & Facilities The Port of Aratu boasts a highly specialized infrastructure designed for the efficient handling of liquid and solid bulk cargoes. Its operational area comprises multiple berths and terminals, each optimized for specific commodity types. ### Liquid Bulk Terminals The port's primary strength lies in its liquid bulk handling capabilities. It features several dedicated piers and berths equipped with extensive pipeline networks and sophisticated loading/unloading arms. These facilities are engineered to manage a wide array of products, including crude oil, refined petroleum derivatives (e.g., gasoline, diesel, naphtha), liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), and various petrochemical feedstocks and finished products (e.g., methanol, ethanol, caustic soda, glycols, styrene). Terminal operators, including major players like Transpetro (a Petrobras subsidiary) and private petrochemical companies, maintain substantial tank farms with significant storage capacities onshore, connected directly to the berths via dedicated pipelines. ### Solid Bulk Terminals Aratu also provides specialized infrastructure for solid bulk commodities. This includes berths equipped with high-capacity conveyor belt systems, ship loaders, and unloaders for handling products such as fertilizers (urea, phosphates), mineral concentrates, and grains. Supporting these operations are extensive warehousing and silo complexes, ensuring efficient storage and throughput. ### Navigational Parameters The Port of Aratu benefits from natural deep-water access within the Baía de Todos os Santos, with maintained navigational depths in its access channels and alongside berths typically ranging from 12 to 14 meters. This depth allows for the accommodation of Panamax and Post-Panamax class vessels, particularly for liquid bulk carriers. Comprehensive tugboat services and mandatory pilotage ensure safe navigation within the port limits. ### Ancillary Services A full spectrum of ancillary maritime services is available, including bunkering, fresh water supply, waste management, ship repair facilities (limited, primarily minor repairs), and provisions. The port's operational efficiency is further enhanced by its robust integration with national road and rail networks, providing seamless multimodal connectivity to the vast Brazilian hinterland and industrial centers. For more detailed operational information and services, the official Codeba website serves as an authoritative resource: CODEBA - Portos da Bahia↗. ## Economic Importance The Port of Aratu holds immense economic importance for the state of Bahia and the broader Brazilian economy. It serves as the primary maritime gateway for the Camaçari Petrochemical Complex (COPEC), one of the largest integrated petrochemical complexes in the Southern Hemisphere. This strategic role positions Aratu as a critical enabler of industrial production, facilitating the import of essential raw materials (e.g., naphtha, crude oil, phosphates) and the export of high-value manufactured products derived from the petrochemical industry, including plastics, chemicals, and fertilizers. The port's operations directly support thousands of jobs within the industrial and logistics sectors in Bahia, contributing significantly to regional GDP. It is instrumental in Brazil's energy security, handling substantial volumes of refined petroleum products for domestic consumption and distribution. Furthermore, Aratu's capacity to handle agricultural inputs, particularly fertilizers, is vital for Brazil's agribusiness sector, ensuring the supply chain for food production remains robust. Its specialization minimizes logistical bottlenecks for strategic national industries, reducing transportation costs and enhancing competitiveness in global markets. The port's continuous activity bolsters local businesses and services, from pilotage and tugging to maintenance and supply chain support, reinforcing its status as a foundational pillar of regional economic development. ## Trade Routes & Major Cargo The Port of Aratu is a dynamic hub connecting Brazil's industrial output with global markets and facilitating the inbound flow of critical raw materials. Its major cargo types reflect its industrial specialization. ### Major Cargo * **Liquid Bulk:** This category constitutes the dominant share of Aratu's throughput. Key products include: * **Petroleum Products:** Crude oil, gasoline, diesel, fuel oil, naphtha, kerosene, LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas). These are vital for domestic energy supply and petrochemical feedstock. * **Petrochemicals:** A wide array of chemicals such as methanol, ethanol, caustic soda, styrene, propylene, ethylene, benzene, toluene, and xylene (BTX aromatics) are handled, serving as inputs or outputs for the Camaçari complex. * **Vegetable Oils and Biodiesel:** Increasingly, the port handles these products, supporting Brazil's renewable energy and food industries. * **Solid Bulk:** * **Fertilizers:** Urea, DAP (diammonium phosphate), MAP (monoammonium phosphate), NPK compounds, and potassium chloride are extensively imported to support Brazilian agriculture. * **Mineral Concentrates:** While less prominent than liquid bulk, certain mineral products are occasionally handled. * **Grains:** Minor volumes of grains may pass through Aratu, though other Brazilian ports are more specialized for this commodity. ### Trade Routes Aratu's trade routes are diverse, reflecting the global nature of the petrochemical and energy industries. * **Domestic (Cabotage):** A significant portion of traffic involves coastal shipping (cabotage), distributing petroleum derivatives and petrochemicals from Aratu to other Brazilian ports and industrial consumption centers. This network is crucial for national supply chain resilience. * **International:** * **North America (USA, Canada):** Key routes for imports of specialized chemicals and exports of refined petroleum products or petrochemical derivatives. * **Europe (Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, UK):** Important for chemical trade, including imports of advanced feedstocks and exports of Brazilian petrochemicals. * **Asia (China, South Korea, Japan):** Growing trade in petrochemicals, crude oil, and refined products, mirroring global energy and industrial demands. * **Latin America:** Regional trade with neighboring countries for various industrial inputs and outputs. * **Middle East & Africa:** Imports of crude oil and certain petrochemicals, as well as exports of refined products. The Port of Aratu's specialized infrastructure and strategic location ensure its continued pivotal role in Brazil's industrial supply chains, facilitating the movement of critical energy products, chemicals, and agricultural inputs across a vast network of international and domestic maritime routes. Further insights into cargo movements and trade statistics can often be found through regulatory bodies like ANTAQ - Agência Nacional de Transportes Aquaviários↗, which provides comprehensive data on Brazilian port operations.

Port Intelligence

UN/LOCODE

BRARB

Country

Brazil

Province / Region

Bahia

Latitude

-12.785585

Longitude

-38.456075

Timezone

America/Fortaleza

Nautical Map (OpenSeaMap)

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the UN/LOCODE for Port of Aratu?

The official UN/LOCODE for Port of Aratu is BRARB.

Where is Port of Aratu located?

The Port of Aratu is located in Brazil, Bahia. Its coordinates are -12.7856°N, -38.4561°E.

What time zone is Port of Aratu in?

Port of Aratu operates in the America/Fortaleza time zone.

🌊 Live Marine Conditions

Wave Height1.06 m

Wave Direction168°

Swell Height0.92 m

Data provided by Open-Meteo Marine API

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About the World Port Index

This data is sourced programmatically. The UN/LOCODE is the official geographic coding scheme used by the United Nations for trade and transport locations.

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