Cade Opens Investigation into Anti-competitive Practices in Pilotage at the Port of Santos

The General Superintendence of the Administrative Council for Economic Defense (Cade) has opened an administrative proceeding to investigate alleged anti-competitive practices in pilotage services at the Port of Santos (SP).

The agency’s technical department is investigating a possible violation of uniform commercial conduct through collective bargaining by pilotage professionals operating at the port via unions representing these companies—conduct that is prohibited under competition law.

Pilotage is a service provided in ports to assist captains of large vessels, especially when local conditions pose risks to safe navigation, helping large ships dock or undock safely.
According to the investigation, since at least 2020, these entities have engaged in collective negotiations with shipping companies, which are users of the service, to set minimum fees for pilotage services in the region.

According to Cade, these agreements were made either with associations of the user companies or directly with each maritime shipping company based on pre-established rate tables. The case file also notes that the conduct was confessed by the companies involved.

Valor attempted to contact the represented entities—the Sindicato dos Práticos dos Portos do Estado de São Paulo and the Coordenação Geral dos Serviços de Praticagem da ZP-16—but was unable to reach them.

Source: Valor Econômico

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