CADE decision on ‘THC2’ dry terminal fee postponed again

Once again, a new review request postponed a decision by CADE (the administrative council for economic defense) on the charging of a fee known as THC2 which has divided the port sector for almost 20 years.

The fee is charged to ‘dry’ terminals, the warehouses that are not installed by the sea.  The “wet” terminals, which unload the ships, charge to stack and deliver the containers.

Dry terminals argue that the price of this service is already included in the freight and would result in unfair competition. CADE has always agreed with this position. Recently, however, a new resolution by ANTAQ (the national waterway transportation agency) caused CADE’s technical area to speak out in favor of the fee collection, generating expectations in the sector about a possible change of understanding.

However, until the time of the review request, the plenary of the antitrust body had been maintaining its position against the fee collection in a lawsuit filed against the container terminal of the Port of Suape, in Pernambuco. The rapporteur of the process, Luiz Hoffmann, voted against the fee collection and was supported by CADE’s attorney, Walter Agra. The vote was interrupted by the request for a review submitted by counselor Luiz Braido, and should return to CADE’s agenda for the session to take place on November 4th.

Source:  Valor

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