Brazil's New Ports Law Gains Momentum: First Public Hearing Held

Brazil took a decisive step toward modernizing its port governance this week. On August 13, the Special Commission on the Brazilian Port System of the Chamber of Deputies held its first public hearing to discuss the proposed Ports Reform Law (PL 733/25).

Crafted by a commission of jurists and backed by lawmakers, PL 733/25 envisions a sweeping update to the existing Port Law (Law 12.815/13). It addresses logistics bottlenecks, environmental licensing delays, patrimonial hurdles, and labor restructuring. Key highlights include:

• Ending Ogmo exclusivity, while ensuring priority for local port workers and enabling continuity when there’s worker refusal

• Implementing certification for port workers, valid across the country for five years, expanding job mobility.

• Streamlining environmental licensing by avoiding redundancy for concessions in already-licensed port areas.

• Introducing the concept of strategic ports, which would be non-privatizable, with criteria to be defined by legislation, enhancing legal certainty.

The Commission’s president, Deputy Murilo Galdino, projects a decision by year-end. This hearing marked a critical chapter in Brazil’s port reform, a “third opening” alongside the 1808 and 1993 regulatory shifts.

For stakeholders in maritime logistics, shipping, and emissions compliance (like AUS40 users), this reform signals a potentially transformative stage, unlocking faster, cleaner, and more competitive port operations.