When we say that boating is economics, and not just leisure, the numbers tend to tell the story better than any speech. And the latest Brazilian export data brings a clear protagonist: Itajaí, on the northern coast of Santa Catarina, has taken the national lead in sport and leisure boat exports.
Between January and April 2026, the city moved US$ 4.3 million in speedboats, yachts and recreational vessels shipped abroad, according to official data from Comex Stat, a platform of Brazil's Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade and Services. The performance surpassed that of 2025, when Itajaí had ranked second nationally in the sector, behind fellow Santa Catarina city Palhoça.
Santa Catarina, Brazil's boat capital
Itajaí's result is not an outlier, it is the visible face of an ecosystem. According to ACATMAR, Associação Náutica Brasileira, which represents the sector's entire production chain, Santa Catarina accounts for around 70% of national production of sport and leisure vessels and an impressive 90% of the segment's exports.
That means that for every ten Brazilian boats crossing the border to other markets, nearly nine came from Santa Catarina shipyards. It is an industrial concentration that involves naval engineering, lamination, joinery, propulsion, electronics, finishing, port logistics and thousands of specialised professionals.
Exporting a boat means exporting knowledge
Every vessel bound for abroad carries far more than fibreglass and an engine. It carries design, technology, skilled labour and decades of accumulated learning. That is why Itajaí's leadership matters beyond the statistic: it signals that Brazil has a competitive nautical product, recognised abroad and capable of generating foreign currency.
And the impact spreads throughout the chain. Export strength moves suppliers, ports, carriers, insurers, marinas and specialised services, while sustaining formal, qualified jobs in the region. It is the Ocean Economy at work, connecting industry, commerce, services and international trade.
A good moment that finds its showcase
The export leadership arrives at a symbolic moment. The same Itajaí that leads foreign sales hosted, in July, the Marina Itajaí Boat Show, one of Latin America's largest nautical events, bringing together the country's leading shipyards and reinforcing the city as a national boating hub.
Export leadership and event prominence are no coincidence: they are two sides of the same coin. Where there is a strong industry, suppliers, marinas, a port and qualified professionals, the market flourishes. And Santa Catarina keeps proving, year after year, that it has turned its coastal vocation into concrete economic development.
With information from Comex Stat / Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade and Services and from ACATMAR, Associação Náutica Brasileira.
By: Redação Mundo Mar
Photo: Mundo Mar / ACATMAR
