Australia's Macquarie invests in Brazil port operator CLI to fund $260 mln deal (updated)

Centrale del Latte d'Italia SpA

16/07/2022 10:52

(Updates with context, comments)
    By Tatiana Bautzer
    July 15 (Reuters) - Australia's Macquarie group is investing
in Brazilian ports by taking a stake in port operator CLI and
funding a deal to buy sugar and grain terminals in Latin
America's largest port, Santos, for $260 million, the companies
said on Friday.
    Railway operator Rumo SA  RAIL3.SA  said in a securities
filing late it has sold 80% of its subsidiary EPSA, which
manages terminals 16 and 19 in Santos, to CLI for 1.4 billion
reais ($260 million). Rumo will remain a minority shareholder.
    CLI, formally Corredor Logistica e Infraestrutura, belonged
to Brazilian private equity fund IG4. Now it will receive a cash
injection of 500 million reais from Macquarie Infrastructure
Partners V, executives said in an interview with Reuters.
     The Australian fund said in a statement it will own a 50%
stake in CLI and share control with IG4. CLI already operates a
grain terminal of the northeastern state Maranhao. 
    Macquarie director in Brazil Fernando Lohmann said the group
has invested in Brazilian agribusiness for a long time. "The
investment in CLI is a natural step to strengthen the
infrastructure connection with agriculture" he said in a
statement.  
    Rumo chief financial officer Rafael Bergman told Reuters in
an interview on Friday the sale allows the company to focus on
improving and expanding its rail operation. 
    CLI chief executive Helcio Tokeshi said in the same
interview the fact that the operator is not related to any
commodity trading company or railway eases its growth and search
for new clients for the Santos terminals. 
 
    ($1 = 5.4091 reais)

 (Reporting by Tatiana Bautzer; Editing by Tom Hogue and William
Mallard)