Santos tariff settlement could end four-year access-charge dispute, pending court approval

The Santos Port Authority (APS) has approved a settlement with the Centro Nacional de Navegação Transatlântica (Centronave) intended to end a tariff dispute that has affected shipping lines and operators at the Port of Santos since 2022. The agreement concerns charges under Table I for waterway-access infrastructure—the tariff category most directly relevant to vessel calls.

According to APS, the settlement will be submitted to the 4th Federal Court in Santos for approval in case 5000363-29.2022.4.03.6104. It is therefore not yet fully effective. If homologated and the agreed procedures are completed, approximately R$416.9 million held in court deposits—calculated on an audited base as of 30 June 2026—would be released to APS. New payments would again be made directly to the port authority rather than deposited in court.

The dispute began when shipowners and operators challenged full collection of the charges, arguing that planned port-infrastructure investments had not been delivered. APS says it has applied a 34.6% discount since 15 September 2025 to the users covered by the prior measure. The proposed settlement provides for the reclassification of Centronave members within Table I, reconciliation of billed and deposited amounts, and a new tariff instrument governing discounts.

A key operational feature is APS’s statement that future discounts will be based on objective criteria, including call frequency and navigation type, and will be available on equal terms to all users meeting the requirements, whether or not they belong to Centronave. APS’s published tariff material confirms that Table I covers waterway-access infrastructure and that tariff proposals remain subject to ANTAQ’s regulatory framework.

**Why this matters:** For owners, charterers and operators, the immediate point is not a confirmed reduction in every call cost; the settlement still needs judicial approval and detailed implementing rules. The more material benefit may be improved predictability in a major Brazilian port: direct billing, clearer eligibility conditions for discounts, and fewer uncertainties around contingent tariff exposure. Charterparty, port-cost and agency teams should monitor the court decision and the forthcoming APS ordinance, then verify whether a vessel’s trading pattern and service type qualify. Claims and finance teams should also reconcile any historic Santos access-charge deposits, invoices and contractual pass-through arrangements against the settlement’s final terms.