The signing was preceded by mutual consultations over a long period in Duisburg and Brazil, which were intensively accompanied by the German government. It was possible to set the cornerstones of this cooperation in a visit by Erich Staake to the new Brazilian ports minister, Leônidas Cristino, in Brazil at the end of January. “The assumption of overall coordination to draft a logistics concept in Brazil by the duisport Group is opening up numerous possibilities for German industry to participate in implementing the infrastructure measures,” enthused Erich Staake, Chief Executive Officer of Duisburger Hafen AG. “We want to act as a pathfinder for home industry when it comes to issuing orders in the next step,” continued Staake.