[2] It belongs to the Union, but its administration and exploitation was granted, in 1997, to the State of Rio Grande do Sul, which does so through the Superintendency of Ports of Rio Grande do Sul (SUPRG), a state body linked to its Secretariat of Logistics and Transport, which since 2017, in addition to this port, manages the entire gaucho hydroport system.

Port activities in the town date back to 1737, the year the city was founded, however the construction of Porto Velho do Rio Grande began in 1869 and its inauguration took place on October 11, 1872.

On June 2, In 1910 the execution of Porto Novo began, which came into operation on November 15, 1915, with the delivery to traffic of the first 500 meters of dock.

The main imports were: wheat, barley, urea, phosphates, fertilizers, potassium chloride, rice, ammonium sulphate, ammonium nitrate, petroleum coke, sea shells, salt, crude oil, sulfuric acid, LPG, phosphoric acid and ammonia.

[5] Its area of influence includes the states of Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina, Uruguay, southern Paraguay and northern Argentina.