Published by Splash247

AD Ports Group has entered the South American market with its largest acquisition to date, agreeing to buy Brazilian agri-bulk terminal operator Corredor Logística e Infraestrutura (CLI) for AED3.1bn ($835m).

The Abu Dhabi-based ports and logistics group said the deal will strengthen its fast-growing agrifoods business while creating a platform for expansion across Latin America.

CLI operates two of Brazil’s most important agricultural export terminals under long-term concessions: CLI Sul at the Port of Santos, the country’s leading sugar export terminal and a major gateway for corn and soybean exports, and CLI Norte at the Port of Itaqui, a key hub in Brazil’s rapidly expanding “Arc of the North” export corridor.

The transaction, which remains subject to regulatory approvals and is expected to close in the second half of the year, marks AD Ports’ first major move into South America.

Captain Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, managing director and group CEO of AD Ports Group, described the acquisition as “a game changer” for the company.

“The transaction extends our international reach for the first time into Latin America and deepens our growing agrifoods activities, one of our core verticals,” he said.

AD Ports said it plans to develop new East-West trade links connecting Brazil with the Indian subcontinent, East Africa, Southeast Asia and the UAE, including direct connections to Khalifa Port and the Abu Dhabi Food Hub.

CLI handled 17m tonnes of agri-bulk cargo in 2025, generating revenues of AED654m ($178m) and EBITDA of AED360m ($98m).

Brazil is the world’s largest sugar exporter and one of the leading exporters of soybeans, corn and coffee, making the country a strategically important market for AD Ports’ diversification strategy.

Macquarie Asset Management, one of the sellers, said AD Ports was “ideally positioned to support CLI’s next phase of growth”, while private equity firm IG4 Capital said the UAE group would bring “global trade expertise, infrastructure capabilities and a long-term vision”.

The acquisition surpasses AD Ports’ previous largest deals, including the purchase of Spain-based Noatum in 2023 and a majority stake in Global Feeder Shipping in 2024, underscoring the group’s increasingly global ambitions.