Only Brazilian-flagged vessels may engage in the transport of goods in cabotage navigation and inland navigation along the national route, as well as in port support navigation and maritime support navigation. Brazilian-flagged vessels must have a Brazilian captain.
The operation or exploration of the transport of goods in long-distance maritime navigation, as well as inland navigation on an international route, is open to shipowners, shipping companies and vessels from all countries subject to reciprocity and in compliance with the internatinoal agreements signed by Brazil.
" Chapter III - On the Flag of Vessels
Art. 3 The following vessels will have the right to fly the Brazilian flag:
I - registered in the Maritime Property Registry, owned by an individual resident and domiciled in the country or by a Brazilian company;
II - under a bareboat charter contract, by a Brazilian shipping company, subject to the provisional suspension of the flag in the country of origin.
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Chapter IV - Crew
Art. 4. In Brazilian-flagged vessels, the captain, the chief engineer and two-thirds of the crew will necessarily be Brazilian.
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Chapter V - Navigation Regimes
Art. 5th The operation or exploration of the transport of goods in long-distance navigation is open to shipowners, shipping companies and vessels from all countries, in compliance with the agreements signed by the Union, in compliance with the principle of reciprocity.
Art. 6 The operation or exploration of inland navigation on an international route is open to shipping companies and vessels from all countries, exclusively in the form of agreements signed by the Union, in compliance with the principle of reciprocity.
Art. 7th Foreign vessels may only participate in the transport of goods in cabotage navigation and inland navigation along the national route, as well as in port support navigation and maritime support navigation, when chartered by Brazilian shipping companies, subject to the provisions of arts . 9th and 10th.[...]" (Law No. 9,432 reordering the maritime transport (8 January 1997), Article 4 [google translation])
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"Art 1 The National Superintendence of the Merchant Marine - SUNAMAN, in the exercise of its regulatory function of maritime transport, is responsible for disciplining and controlling, through resolutions that it issues, the participation of the national merchant fleet in international shipping lines.
Single paragraph. For the purposes of this article, in the traffic between Brazil and other countries, the national shipowners of the exporting and importing country of goods shall predominate, until the equal participation between the same shipowners, recommended by the Brazilian policy of international maritime transport, is obtained.
[...]
Art 3 The import or export cargo, mandatorily linked to transport in Brazilian-flagged ships, may be released in favor of the flag of the exporting or importing country, weighing up to 50% of its total, provided that the legislation of the buying or selling country grants , at least, equal treatment in relation to ships flying the Brazilian flag.
§ 1 In case of absolute lack of own or chartered Brazilian-flagged ships, for the transport of the total or part of the percentage that fits, it must be released in favor of a ship flying the flag of the exporting or importing country.[...]" (Decree-Law No. 666, of July 2, 1969 Establishing the obligation to transport on a Brazilian flag ship and makes other provisions [google translation])
Law No. 9,432 reordering the maritime transport (8 January 1997), last amended by Law No. 12,599 of 2012, Article 4
Decree-Law No. 666, of July 2, 1969 Establishing the obligation to transport on a Brazilian flag ship and makes other provisions
[<a href="http://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/leis/L9432.htm">Law</a>],[<a href="http://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/Decreto-Lei/Del0666.htm">Decree-Law</a>]