Macquarie Asset Management and Brazil's private equity firm IG4 Capital have reached an agreement to sell a controlling interest in Corredor Logística e Infraestrutura S.A (CLI) to AD Ports Group for $835 million, the parties announced on Tuesday.
The buyer, AD Ports Group, said the acquisition will be its largest to date and will allow it to create direct trade links connecting Brazil to Khalifa Port and the Abu Dhabi Food Hub. CLI, a São Paulo-based terminal operator, runs Brazil's leading sugar export terminal and also operates a major export terminal handling corn and soybean.
Management at CLI will remain in place following the transaction. Gabriel Motta will continue as CEO, the sellers confirmed. The transaction was entered into by Macquarie Asset Management through Macquarie Infrastructure Partners V and by IG4 Capital through its Private Equity Fund II.
According to a statement provided by Macquarie, the firm intends to remain a long-term investor in Brazil and said it will continue to act as a custodian of infrastructure assets that support economic development and global trade. Fernando Lohmann, head of Macquarie Asset Management in Brazil, was quoted on the company's commitment to connectivity and supporting Brazil's role in international commerce.
The deal is conditional on receiving required regulatory and antitrust clearances. Until those approvals are secured, the transaction has not been completed.
AD Ports highlighted the operational rationale for the purchase, emphasizing the potential to establish new routes between Brazil and its Khalifa Port and Abu Dhabi Food Hub platforms. CLI's terminals for sugar, corn and soybean exports were noted as strategic assets that align with those logistics ambitions.
Macquarie did not disclose the full details of the transaction when contacted.
Context and next steps
Pending regulatory sign-off, the sale would represent a significant cross-border logistics transaction focused on agricultural bulk exports. The deal links a Brazilian terminal operator with a UAE-based ports group seeking to expand its global trade footprint.