Bill by senator Álvaro Dias (PODE-PR) is a reason for mobilization of trade unions and shipowners' associations in favor of the shipbuilding industry.

Law 9432 of 1997, which governs the country's navigation and naval industry frameworks, is seriously threatened with radical changes.
A bill prepared by senator Álvaro Dias wants to change the current rules, giving more flexibility in the chartering and purchase of vessels for use in Brazilian cabotage.

As soon as the senator's bill was published, it caused rapid actions from the entire naval sector. Builders' and workers' unions understand that the approval of such a project would put a damper on Brazilian shipbuilding.
According to the senator, the national fleet has not expanded or been renewed due to the restrictions of the current law and that its project creates facilities for the importation of new ships.

The senator also declares that the current law, in force since 1997, was created to protect the Brazilian naval industry, but it was not successful and that today it only serves as a barrier to the growth of water transport in Brazil.
In the text of Bill 2948/2019, the senator even mentions that the policies to protect the merchant navy and shipbuilding were not able to develop these sectors.

Excerpt from the Full Text: “The high cost of acquiring vessels built in Brazil, associated with the inability to meet demand on the part of national shipyards, keeps the size of the national transport fleet almost stagnant”.

In favor of the PL

There are, however, those who are in favor of the bill, the CNA (Confederation of Agriculture and Livestock) understands that a change in the law would favor the difficulties of chartering vessels abroad currently faced, due to the tonnage rule of law 9432/ 97.
The confederation also declares that construction costs here in Brazil are very high and that the reduction in costs would only favor an increase in the ability of national companies to compete in the foreign market.

Against the PL

Syndarma (National Union of Maritime Navigation Companies) recognizes the need to renew the fleet, but thinks that the PL does not solve the problem and that there are already studies being carried out with the Ministry of Infrastructure and the executive branch with a view to implementing more organized measures.
The union points out that it has been registering an increase in the demand for cabotage, mainly in the transport of containers.

The union's main concern is with those who have invested in the shipbuilding industry over all these years and with the current regulatory framework.
Sinaval is also against the bill and thinks that it does not contribute to the creation of jobs and improvement of the economy, which are the government's objectives at the moment.

The vice-president of Sinaval, Sérgio Bacci, declared that with the approval of the measure, any shipowner that brings a ship from abroad (bought cheaper) to operate here, is on equal terms with those who invested and believed in Brazil.

This week, shipyard directors will be in Brasília to monitor progress and discuss the proposal at the meeting of the mixed parliamentary front for the defense of the merchant navy.

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