60's – Studies began in order to analyze the viability of implanting a "super port" focused on exportation and the establishment of industries in its surrounding area. The idea was to create a port to generate demand, and not only supply the region's existing one.

70's  – Suape's conception arose from the modern concept of integration between port and industry, a concept already existing at the Marseille-Fos  in France, and Kashima, Japan.

The choice to locate the port at Suape's region was made considering the following conditions: deep waters along the coast, ranging from 17 meters to 1.2 kilometers from coral reefs: natural breakwater formed by the reefs; extensive area for the establishment of an industrial park; enough distance from Recife's busy metropolitan areas.

From 1973 on, the elaboration of the directive plan began for the establishment of the industrial port complex, which consisted of extensive areas for industries and support services for the sea port;

In 1974 the fundamental stone for the Suape Port was launched during Eraldo Gueiros Leite's  administration;

In 1976, the interministerial group was created with the intent to examine the project's technical, economic and financial viability. With the conclusion of these studies in 1977, the first services and land expropriations began, reaching 13.5 thousand hectares. After that stage, the works of port infrastructure, internal road system, electric energy and telecommunication began;

In November 7th, 1978, by means of the state law #7.763, the SUAPE – Industrial Port Complex was created, aiming to manage and establish the industrial district, the development of works and exploitation of port activities.

In 1983, Suape Port began its operations effectively, through the transport of ethanol by Petrobrás, using the recently founded Pier for Liquid Bulk, the PGL - 1. In order to store the fuel, Petrobrás installed 4 tanks of 5 thousand m³ each within the port area;

In 1984 the pier was built in stone, in order to protect the port's internal entrance, which was open at the coral reef;

In 1986, after a fuel ship fire at Recife's port, a terminal which supplied to the state since 1918, the then governor of Pernambuco, Roberto Magalhães, determined  that the fuel companies installed at that location should move to Suape. Thus, that which then was only a project was consolidated after the incident. Among these companies, some of the most known ones were BR Distribuidora, Shell, Texaco, and Esso, which joined to begin the formation, at Suape, of the "Petrol Derivatives Pool";

Still in 1986, due to the necessity to land other types of load in addition to fuels, the construction of the Multiple Uses Pier, CMU, began. Through it, containers and solid bulk could be handled.

In 1991, the Multiple-Use Pier started operating and the Suape Port was included in the list of 11 priority ports of Brazil, to which federal public resources should be destined in order to invest in port infrastructure. Since then, Suape ceased to be only an industrial port to become a hub port for public use loads; combined with the great depth along its coast, there's 1.2 kilometers of the reef chain;

In 1996, Suape was included in the Brazil in Action Program, counting with federal government financial support in order to establish the first stage of its internal port;

In 1999, the internal port's construction was concluded, with 925 meters of new piers that could be accessed through an opening in the coral reef barrier, 300m wide and 15.5m deep.

The liquid bulk Pier #2, or PGL-2, began its construction in 2000 and was concluded in the following year;

In 2001, the construction of the internal port's second stage began, with the dredging of over 1.3 million m³ of sand, thus expanding the navigation channel with more 450 meters, where pier #4 would be built, having 330 meters. In the same year, piers #2 and #3 of the internal port were leased by the Tecon Suape company;

In order to supply to the port area's expansion and the significant increase in cargo handling, the duplication of the Port's Avenue began in 2002, extending 4.4km of its initial length. Also with the goal to supply to the Port's Area expansion needs, the construction of the Port's Central Operations Building began, thus lodging the operating Suape Port authorities;

In 2003, the Suape Port received from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), bound to the US government, an international certificate legitimating full compliance to the anti-bioterrorism law;

Complex Suape's training center was founded in 2004, with the intention of promoting educational inclusion for the local population surrounding Suape, and for Suape's workers;

In 2005, the fundamental stone of General José Ignácio Abreu e Lima Refinery is launched. After over 50 years of struggle, it finally arrives in Pernambuco;

The italian company Mossi & Ghisolf was founded in 2006. It operates 5 industrial plants in Brasil, distributed throughout 3 states: São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Pernambuco;

The South Atlantic Shipyard was founded in 2008, being the first enterprise of Suape's Naval Pole;

Pier 5 was founded 2009. Being 343 meters long, it is a moving pier, dealing mostly with general loads and solid bulk;

The spanish company belonging to the Gonvarri group, the GRI Towers, arrived in 2009 to produce wind towers;

One of the most important agribusiness and food companies in the country, Bunge, was founded at the Suape Port in 2009, investing around R$196 million.

Campari, a 32.000m² factory, was built in 2010 within the Suape Complex in order to replace the plant located in Jaboatão dos Guararapes;

In 2010, Suape Industrial Complex's administration carried out its first public tender;

The Suape 2030 Director Plan came into effect in 2011, with the goal to coordinate Suape Industrial Complex's growth. The new plan organized Industrial Zones (ZIs) and expanded the Environmental Protection Zone (ZPEC) from 46% to 59% of its extension;

During the year of 2012, there was the inauguration of the companies Pernambuco Industrial, Brazilian Gas Industry (IBG) and Amcor. In May, the first oil tanker built at Suape was finished, by the South Atlantic Shipyard, and it was called João Cândido. In July, the duplication of the PE-60 highway was inaugurated along with the three viaducts that were built, located at kilometer 10;

In the beginning of 2013, Suape's administration inaugurated the first rural settlement, called Valdir Ximenes, which is located in the Barreiros county, at the state's Southern Woods. Currently, 126 families live in an area of 1.1 thousand hectares, with plots of land of 5 hectares each;

In 2013, Suape's Port concluded two important infrastructure works which were the strengthening of the North and South bollards and the requalification of the Multiple Use Pier (CMU), strategic in the process of load outflow;

The Vard Promar Shipyard, Suape's Naval Pole's second enterprise, was finished in July 2013. In addition to the shipyard, there was also the opening of the LM Wind Power company and Suape's Petrochemicals PTA plant;

On November 8th, 2013, Suape's Port carried out the first load movement of crude oil, in a preparation to supply Abreu e Lima Refinary's demands. The liquid bulk piers, 3A and 3B, destined to the Refinery's oil tankers, began operating in August of the same year;

In January 2014, the express lane was opened, a 43 kilometer road that leads to Suape's Industrial Port Complex and to the beaches of Pernambuco's Southern Coast. Also in 2014, Aguilar y Salas opened its first factory of heat exchangers, reactors and tanks, within Suape's Complex;

In February 2014, the Crystal pet factory was opened. In July, the GRI Flanges factory began its construction, a future producer of wind tower flanges, and in August, Suape Petrochemical's first PET line began operating;

The first housing complex was built by Suape's Industrial Port Complex's Administration and finished in March 2014, for the 75 families that lived in the Tatuoca Island. Named Vila Nova Tatuoca Housing, the allotment has playground for children, a multi-use hangar, and a soccer field;

Suape's Port carried out in April 2014 its first operation for Manaus' Free Zone Warehouse (EZFM) in Pernambuco, installed in Ipojuca's county. EZFM in Pernambuco is the biggest of the Northeast and the third in operation in Brazil;

In 2014, Suape's Complex gained a new dry port, expanding its area destined to imports and exports. The customs area, placed at the shores of PE-60, was built by Wilson Sons Logistics;

Abreu e Lima Refinery began operating its first refinery train in November 2014;

In 2014, the works on the New Public Patio for vehicles, with an area of 15 hectares and static storage capacity of 6504 spots, were finished;

In 2015, the road access to Tatuoca Island was finished, where the shipyards are found;

The italian company Decal Brasil started producing gasoline in its plant at the terminal for fuel storage at Suape's Port in April 2015;

During the 21st Intermodal South America, in April 2015, Suape's Port signed a protocol of intention with Miami's Port in order to increase cargo handling between the two ports, and expand coasting activities;

In May 2015, the drawing for Sacambu's settlement lots was carried out, created by Suape's administration and consisting of 457 hectares divided into 51 lots of 5 hectares each, located within Cabo de Santo Agostinho's county. The resettled families lived until then in the area known as Workers' Farm.

Shineray Brasil S/A opened at Suape, in July 2015, the first factory outside China and the only one in Brazil outside Manaus' Free Zone;

Suape's Port closed the year 2015 leading the market of liquid bulk among the 37 public ports of Brazil, with 14.24 million tons;

Another milestone of the year 2015 was the great cabotage movement between all of the public ports of Brazil. Suape broke a record with 13.1 million tons in cargo carried along the ports located in the Brazilian coast;

During the first semester of 2015, Tegma transport and logistics opened its unit at the Suape Industrial Zone, and Pepsico expanded its snack factory. During the second semester, Frompet and Toyota Brazil's Distribution Center were opened;

Pernambuco's Bureau of Economic Development, the United Nations for Eductaion, Science and Culture (UNESCO) and the Brazilian Agency of Cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (ABC/MRE) signed a cooperation agreement among themselves in order to carry out the "Pact for a Sustainable Suape" Project, in February 2016;

In 2016, some companies began using Suape's Port as a gateway or an outlet port for their supplies or products. Bosch began using Suape's Port in July in order to import all the arriving products destined to the company's new Distribution Center installed at the Multimodal Cone, in Cabo de Santo Agostinho. On August 1st, Bic Brazil opened their new Distribution Center, installed at the Manaus' Free Zone Warehouse (EZFM), in Pernambuco;

In October 2016, Bemis, an american company belonging to the packaging market, opened the expansion of their industrial unit at the Suape Complex.