The history of Brazilian ports begins in the early days of the Colony, at the location where the Portuguese founded the capital of their domains in America in 1549. Salvador was born as a consequence of the excellent port conditions of the Bay of All Saints, becoming for two centuries the main destination for ships crossing the Atlantic on the commercial route between the New and Old Worlds.
A set of wharves and small anchorages at various points formed the port structure of the Bahian capital until, on May 13, 1913, the then governor José Joaquim Seabra inaugurated the organized port, through the landfilling of an extensive strip of the Comércio neighborhood. The Port of Salvador, recognized at the time as one of the great infrastructure works of the country.
Today, the Port of Salvador plays a decisive role in the economy of Bahia, standing out in the handling of containers, general cargo, wheat, cellulose, and fruits, benefited, among other factors, by its strategic position in relation to the European Continent and Mercosur. Its area of influence includes, besides Bahia, the north of Minas Gerais, Sergipe, Alagoas, Pernambuco, Paraíba, Rio Grande do Norte, and Ceará. It is also one of the main destinations for maritime cruise routes along the Brazilian coast.
In 2015, the port handled a total of 4.3 million tons, with its Container Terminal reaching a record operation of 290.2 thousand TEUs.
In the last six years, the Port of Salvador has received substantial investments in its infrastructure, such as the Expressway, which connects it to BR-324, dredging of its access channel, construction of the new passenger maritime terminal, and modernization and purchase of new equipment for the Container Terminal. In total, more than R$ 800 million have been invested in the mentioned period.
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