MSC has reached an agreement to acquire a majority stake in the Brazilian company Wilson Sons, marking another significant step in expanding its port activities and boosting its presence in Latin America. The deal, valued at $768 million, involves the acquisition of 56.47% of Wilson Sons shares by MSC's subsidiary, Shipping Agencies Services. The transaction is expected to close in the second half of 2025, pending customary antitrust approvals.
Wilson Sons, part of Ocean Wilsons Holdings, operates key port infrastructure in Brazil, including the Tecon Rio Grande container terminal, located in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, and Tecon Salvador, in Salvador, Bahia. The company also owns one of the largest tugboat fleets in Latin America and a shipyard. This marks MSC's second major acquisition in Brazil, following the purchase of Log-In Logistica completed in 2021.
The Rio Grande Container Terminal is the main gateway connecting Rio Grande do Sul to Brazil and the world, and in nearly 27 years of operation, it has become a key element for the state's economic development. Currently, it serves over three thousand importers and exporters and hosts the main shipping lines calling at Brazil, offering weekly services to all markets through thirteen shipping companies. The terminal has a capacity of 1.4 million TEU and can accommodate New Panamax vessels at its 900-meter quay.
The Tecon Salvador Terminal was recognized as the best container terminal in the world with less than 500,000 TEU of annual throughput in the 2023 Container Port Performance Index report by the World Bank and S&P Global Market Intelligence. In 2021, Wilson Sons doubled the terminal's main berth to 800 meters in length, making it possible to berth two New Panamax container ships simultaneously. Currently, the facility handles more than 470 vessels per year and over 750 trucks per day. In 2023, the company acquired twelve electric terminal tractors.
