Information must be provided by port authorities every 180 days
All Brazilian port authorities must submit, on a semi-annual basis, documents detailing the dredging plan for their ports. This mandate comes from the National Waterway Transportation Agency (Antaq) and aims to enhance predictability regarding the maintenance of navigation channel depths, benefiting maritime complex users, the market, and society.
According to the regulatory agency’s directive, port authorities must submit information every 180 days regarding bathymetry of the navigation channel and berthing areas, the volume dredged during the period, the type of dredger used, and the mobilization time of the equipment.
Additionally, details on the characteristics of dredged sediments and disposal sites must be provided, along with future actions and calls for dredging service tenders. Data on contracts, amendments, and current tenders are also required by the regulatory agency. The goal is to bring transparency to a multimillion-dollar service funded by the federal government.
According to Antaq’s director, Alber Vasconcelos, in exceptional cases such as draft restrictions, immediate communication with the agency is required. He stated that this new directive strengthens port management and ensures the efficiency of waterway transportation in the country.
“It is estimated that for every meter below the minimum contracted depth, up to 700 containers per call may be lost in cargo movement,” highlighted the director, who is also the rapporteur for the matter.
The executive also pointed out that continuous contract monitoring will reduce financial and operational risks, preventing emergency situations that could compromise navigability.
Port Inspections
At the end of January, Antaq approved the new Multi-Year Inspection Plan (PPF) for the period 2025-2028 and the Annual Inspection Plan (PAF) for 2025.
The PPF sets priorities for inspection activities over the next four years to ensure compliance with regulatory obligations. Meanwhile, the PAF outlines the planning for annual inspections, detailing how they will be conducted, which companies will be inspected, and in what manner.
The 2025-2028 PPF will consist of three levels of inspection: monitoring, remote actions, and on-site actions. Innovative initiatives are also planned, including the creation of specialized inspection groups focusing on container logistics and port investments, as well as the development of technological tools and solutions to enhance electronic inspections.
For PAF 2025, inspections will be divided into four groups: operational, risk-based, self-regulatory, and thematic. Seven themes were proposed: assessment of port authority performance; port authority inspection structures; waste and hazardous materials management; analysis of delegation agreements; availability of berthing windows at container terminals; waste collection in inland navigation; and free services in express or differentiated inland passenger and mixed navigation services.