AD Ports Group announced Monday it will acquire Corredor Logística e Infraestrutura, Brazil’s leading independent agri-bulk port terminal operator, for $835 million in the company’s largest acquisition to date.
The deal marks AD Ports Group’s first entry into Latin America and significantly expands its agrifood business vertical. CLI operates two critical terminals that handle sugar and grain exports from Brazil, the world’s largest sugar exporter.
Strategic terminals in key locations
CLI operates terminals at two of Brazil’s most important ports. CLI Sul runs Brazil’s leading sugar export terminal at the Port of Santos, handling corn and soybeans alongside sugar shipments. CLI Norte operates at the Port of Itaqui, part of Brazil’s “Arc of the North” corridor that encompasses the Amazon basin.
The northern Brazilian ports recorded the fastest growth in the country during 2025, reinforcing the strategic importance of the Arc of the North corridor for agricultural exports.
Brazil accounts for 40-50% of global sugar exports and ranks among the world’s largest grain exporters, making CLI’s terminals essential infrastructure for connecting Brazilian agricultural regions to international markets.
AD Ports GroupFinancial performance and expansion plans
In 2025, CLI handled 17 million tonnes of agri-bulk cargo and generated revenue of $178 million with earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization of $98 million.
The transaction, valued at an enterprise value of $835 million, surpasses AD Ports Group’s previous largest acquisitions, including the $720 million purchase of Spain’s Noatum in 2023 and the $510 million acquisition of a 51% stake in Global Feeder Shipping in 2024.
“The purchase of CLI is a game changer for AD Ports Group,” said Captain Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, managing director and group CEO. “The transaction extends our Group’s international reach for the first time into Latin America, and deepens our growing agrifoods activities.”
Growing agrifood portfolio
The acquisition aligns with AD Ports Group’s strategy to expand its agrifood operations globally. Recent investments include a long-term agreement with Louis Dreyfus Company to develop agricultural storage facilities at Karachi Port, a $30 million investment in Kazakhstan’s Sarzha Grain Terminal, and a 30-year concession to operate Jordan’s Aqaba multipurpose port.
The company’s Spanish operations through Noatum already handle approximately 2 million tonnes of grain imports annually at the Tarragona and Sagunto terminals.
Transaction details
AD Ports Group is acquiring CLI from joint owners Macquarie Asset Management and IG4 Capital. CLI owns 100% of CLI Norte and 80% of CLI Sul. The transaction requires regulatory and antitrust approval and is expected to close in the second half of 2026.
CLI’s existing senior management team will remain in place to continue operations. BTG Pactual advised AD Ports Group, while Citi advised the sellers.
AD Ports Group
AD Ports Group
