Ports play a fundamental role in the international trade of goods and, consequently, in the socio-economic development of the region where it is located. In this sense, it is of great importance that the port be competitive and, for this, efficiency, whether operational or in the management of invested resources, are factors that impact the strategies for competitiveness. Therefore, the study sought to analyze the relative efficiency in terms of the application of resources invested in the public ports of Brazil and the Iberian Peninsula, since both port complexes are located in strategic geographic regions for international trade and have similarities in terms of management models. The results show that the ports with the greatest relative efficiency are in Spain, whose port sector has sought to develop port management models from an economic perspective, even though ports are public companies and can function as public policy tools.