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Newsletter | Shipping – May, 2026
This edition covers April and May.
Featured News
ANTAQ extends deadline for Public Hearing No. 2/2026 on the Port of Santos access channel
On April 22, 2026, the National Waterway Transportation Agency (“ANTAQ“) published DG Deliberation No. 21/2026, which extended the deadline for submission of contributions to Public Hearing No. 2/2026, concerning the technical and legal documents for the concession of the Waterway Access Channel of the Organized Port of Santos/SP.
The concession, with an estimated value of R$ 23.45 billion, will have a 25-year term from the Assumption Date, with successive extensions permitted up to a maximum limit of 70 years, according to the documents submitted for public participation. For further information, click here to access the Alert on the matter prepared by our Maritime Law team.
Deadline: from March 17, 2026 to July 1, 2026, through ANTAQ’s Social Participation System.
MPor defines the boundaries of the organized port area
On April 27, 2026, GM-MPOR Ordinance No. 16/2026, issued by the Ministry of Ports and Airports (“MPor“), was published, defining the area of the Organized Port of Cabedelo, located in the Municipality of Cabedelo, State of Paraíba
The ordinance provides that the organized port area is defined by polygons whose vertices have georeferenced coordinates listed in the annexes to the act. The rule also requires the port authority of the Organized Port of Cabedelo to make available to the public, on its website, a map of the polygons indicated in the ordinance, with precise identification of the boundaries of the port areas and their surroundings.
IMO announces developments from the 84th session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 84)
From April 27 to May 1, 2026, the International Maritime Organization – IMO, held in London, the 84th session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (“MEPC 84”), with discussions on the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution, ballast water management, energy efficiency of ships and prevention of marine pollution.
In the context of maritime decarbonization, the Committee continued discussions on the IMO Net-Zero Framework, without reaching consensus on the adoption of the regulatory framework. Discussions are expected to continue in two intersessional groups before MEPC 85, scheduled to take place from November 30 to December 3, 2026.
Among the main outcomes of MEPC 84, the following stand out: (i) the adoption of amendments to Annex VI of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships – MARPOL to designate the Northeast Atlantic as an Emission Control Area for nitrogen oxides, sulphur oxides and particulate matter; (ii) the approval of a package of amendments to the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments; and (iii) the update of EEDI guidelines applicable to dual-fuel ships.
ANTAQ considers delegation to SRG to decide on intragroup corporate transfers
On April 29, 2026, ANTAQ included on the agenda of its 608th Virtual Ordinary Meeting a proceeding concerning the issuance of an ordinance delegating authority to the Superintendence of Regulation (“SRG”), ANTAQ Case File No. 50300.008332/2026-73.
The proposal concerns delegation to SRG of authority to decide requests for transfer of title or corporate control carried out within the same economic group, when exempt from competitive review under ANTAQ Resolution No. 57/2021, with no admission of a new equity holder.
Office of the Chief of Staff recommends adjustments to the Tecon Santos 10 auction model
On May 6, 2026, the Special Secretariat for the Investment Partnerships Program of the Office of the Chief of Staff of the Presidency sent to MPor Official Letter No. 236/2026/SEPPI/CC/PR, accompanied by Technical Note No. 11/2026/SIEC/SEPPI/CC/PR (“Technical Note”), with recommendations for the modeling of the lease of Tecon Santos 10, in the Port of Santos/SP.
The Technical Note addresses, among other matters, the participation of incumbent operators subject to a commitment to divest container port assets in the Port of Santos, the absence of a prior prohibition on shipowners or vertically integrated groups, the grant payment structure, and obligations relating to land access and railway infrastructure.
MPor establishes Working Group on rules for port, airport and waterway concessions
On May 8, 2026, MPor established a Working Group to assess the harmonization of the rules applicable to port, airport and waterway concessions.
The working group will be coordinated by the Special Advisory Office to the Minister’s Office and will include representatives of the Executive Secretariat, ANAC and ANTAQ. The final report is to present studies and proposed guidelines for public policies and regulatory improvements within 90 days.
Federal Decree qualifies six terminals under the PPI
On May 13, 2026, Federal Decree No. 12,970/2026 was published, qualifying six federal public port-sector projects under the Investment Partnerships Program of the Presidency of the Republic (“PPI”).
The following terminals were qualified: IQI15, at the Organized Port of Itaqui/MA, intended for the handling and storage of solid agricultural bulk cargoes; SUA01, at the Organized Port of Suape/PE, intended for the handling and storage of Ro-Ro cargo and vehicles in general; IMB11 and IMB06, both at the Organized Port of Imbituba/SC, intended, respectively, for the handling and storage of solid agricultural bulk cargoes and solid mineral bulk cargoes; RIG40, at the Organized Port of Rio Grande/RS, intended for the handling and storage of liquid bulk cargoes; and MUC05, at the Organized Port of Fortaleza/CE, intended for the handling and storage of solid mineral bulk cargoes.
Review of ANTAQ’s 2025–2028 Regulatory Agenda
On May 14, 2026, ANTAQ announced the extension, until May 22, 2026, of the deadline for submitting suggestions to the ordinary review of its 2025–2028 Regulatory Agenda. The initiative seeks to broaden the participation of stakeholders from the waterway and port sectors, as well as other interested parties, in improving the Agency’s regulatory planning.
ANTAQ’s 2025–2028 Regulatory Agenda sets out priority topics related to inland navigation, maritime navigation and port facilities, including matters that may impact port operations, enforcement, authorizations and other activities regulated by ANTAQ. The contributions received may support the inclusion, exclusion, adjustment or reprioritization of regulatory topics. For further information, please access here the form made available by ANTAQ to receive suggestions on regulatory topics.
Public Consultations and Hearings
ANTAQ
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Public Hearing Notice No. 4/2026
Purpose: to receive contributions on the technical and legal documents relating to the bidding procedure for the lease of area VDC04, located in the Organized Port of Vila do Conde/PA.
Date: June 8, 2026, through ANTAQ’s Social Participation System.
Public Hearing No. 2/2026
Purpose: to receive contributions on the technical and legal documents relating to the concession of the Waterway Access Channel of the Organized Port of Santos/SP.
Period: until July 1, 2026, through ANTAQ’s Social Participation System.
APS
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APS Public Consultation No. 1/2026
Purpose: to receive contributions on the technical and legal documents relating to the bidding procedure for the lease of area SSZ 33E, intended for the storage of general cargo, project cargo and containerized cargo at the Santos/SP Port Complex.
Date: until June 1, 2026.
Petrobras’ Tender Opportunities
We list below some of the main tender opportunities currently open by Petróleo Brasileiro S.A.:
(i) Opportunity No. 7004601531. Chartering of at least one (1) Fast Supply Crewboat (“FSC”) for the lots below:
| Priority | Type | Flag |
| 1 | Lote A – FSC 25 | Brazilian |
| 2 | Lote B – FSC 10 | Brazilian |
Start date for proposals’ submission: May 18, 2026.
Deadline for proposals’ submission: June 9, 2026.
(ii) Opportunity No. 7004597133. Subsea Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Installation – EPCI, on a lump-sum basis, covering engineering services, installation of a subsea system and supply of goods for the implementation of the Rota SEAP Pipeline and SEAP II EPCI, divided into the three (3) lots below:
| Lot | Object |
| A | (i) Supply of goods, including pipes, accessories and equipment for rigid export pipelines, field joints, rigid jumpers, Pipeline End Terminations – PLETs, Pipeline End Manifold – PLEM, valve skid, Emergency Shutdown Valve – ESDV, Umbilical Terminal Assembly – UTA, and anchoring materials for PLETs, PLEM and risers; and (ii) Provision of engineering design services and subsea installation and tie-in services. |
| B | (i) Supply of goods, including pipes, accessories and equipment for rigid gas production pipelines, field joints, rigid jumpers, Pipeline End Terminations – PLETs, Emergency Shutdown Valves – ESDVs, Umbilical Terminal Assemblies – UTAs, and anchoring materials for PLETs and risers; and (ii) Provision of engineering design services and subsea installation and tie-in services for the production gathering system, in accordance with the specifications of this document and its annexes. |
| C (integrator) | (i) Supply of goods, including pipes, accessories and equipment for rigid gas export and production pipelines, field joints, rigid jumpers, Pipeline End Terminations – PLETs, Pipeline End Manifold – PLEM, valve skid, Emergency Shutdown Valves – ESDVs, Umbilical Terminal Assemblies – UTAs, and anchoring materials for PLETs, PLEM and risers; and (ii) Provision of engineering design services and subsea installation and tie-in services for the gas export system and production gathering system. |
Start date for proposals’ submission: May 14, 2026.
Deadline for proposals’ submission: August 14, 2026, according to the latest extension.
(iii) Opportunity No. 7004497861. Chartering of one (1) Brazilian-flagged Oil Spill Recovery Vessel 105 – OSRV.
Start date for proposals’ submission: May 7, 2026.
Deadline for proposals’ submission: May 28, 2026.
We note that the opportunities referred to in items (i) and (iii) are restricted to suppliers pre-qualified under Pre-Qualification No. 7002924107, pursuant to the Bidding Notice published in the Brazilian Official Gazette on February 13, 2026.
Please note that this material is for informational purposes only. Our team closely monitors trends and developments in the Shipping sector and is available to provide further information on these or any other topics.