Yet more investment in Pecem Port in 2017

Yet more investment in Pecem Port in 2017

2017 will see more investment in Pecem Port as this key industrial area in Northeast Brazil continues to register record figures. Cargo movements soared last year as did the production of steel plaques. State authorities are confident that Pecem Port will add 12 per cent to Ceará’s GDP over the next 12 months.

 

Huge investment has taken place in Pecem Port over the last few years. Most of it has concentrated on the expansion of the site, upgrade of its facilities and the establishment of new companies at the Free Trade Zone (FTZ). And the R$28.5 billion investment in Pecem Port has certainly paid off.

 

Record figures at Pecem Port in 2016

Cargo movements at Pecem Port rose spectacularly last year. In total, the Port moved 5.6 million tonnes, a 31 per cent hike on 2015. Much of this huge increase came in the form of steel plaques produced by CSC steel company who opened their installations in the FTZ in mid-2016.

 

In late December, Pecem Port celebrated the production of the millionth steel plaque, an occasion marked by a special ceremony attended by state authorities. According to Governor Camilo Santana, the milestone represented “a historic moment” both for the Port and for Ceará as a whole.

 

Steel production should take off in earnest this year and add considerably to cargo movements at Pecem Port. The port authorities expect 16 million tonnes to be moved by December, almost triple the 2016 amount, mostly on the back of steel exports.

 

More new investment in Pecem Port

This year will see yet more investment in the Port, although at a lower level than 2016. The port authorities expect further expansion, both physically and in terms of the number of companies. The port site will grow by an additional 15 hectares and three granite production companies are due to set up their premises within the FTZ in 2017.

 

“We are the gateway to business growth in Ceará,” said Ricardo Parente, President of the Association of Companies at Pecem Port. He expects the Port to add 48 per cent to industrial GDP in Ceará and 12 per cent to state GDP.

 

The recent new investment in Pecem Port has also paid off for fruit exporters in Ceará. The Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) has just announced that it will include Pecem Port on its North Europe/ East Coast of South America route during the fruit season. Between August and February, MSC cargo ships will stop at Pecem Port to load fruit bound for Rotterdam and other Northern European import-export centres. This announcement is particularly good news for melon producers in Ceará.

 

Further investment in Pecem Port may come this year from Oman and the UAE. A delegation from the Ceará government visited several countries in the Middle East in January to promote the opportunities for investment at the Port. Interest was reportedly high among potential investors.

 

More and better jobs at Pecem Port

As well as investment in facilities, Pecem Port is also putting money and resources into jobs. The Port currently employs 12,700 people directly and creates 38,100 indirect jobs.

The Port has set up a training centre in conjunction with SENAI, the national training association and IFCE, the state training institute. The centre is currently focusing on a Young Apprentices Programme, designed to improve qualifications and training for employees at the Port. The objective of this investment in Pecem Port is also to increase the quality of jobs on offer to attract more professionals.

 

“This huge FTZ is certainly one of the economic highlights in Northeast Brazil and a major focal point for investment,” says Dies Poppeliers, Managing Director BRIC Group. “The specialist employment opportunities at the port will attract well-paid professionals to the area, enhancing the local economy and property market. At BRIC Group we are watching the expansion of the Port with keen interest.”

 

An investment company specialising in global real estate opportunities, BRIC Group is currently developing The Coral resort, in Northeast Brazil, a luxury beachfront resort. BRIC Group also offers US real estate investments including turnkey properties in Florida and Houston, and land plots in Florida. BRIC Group has been creating wealth for its clients since 1996 and has offices in Brazil, Dubai (consulting office), Hungary, Spain and the US. Click for more information.

 

(Source: Ceará government)

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