Romulo A. Bacchiega
Law 15.075/2024 and Decree 12.362/2025 create a favorable environment for investment, job generation and the strengthening of Brazil’s maritime industrial base.
Rio de Janeiro, November 2025 — The recent enactment of Law 15.075/2024 and the publication of Decree 12.362/2025 mark a new chapter for Brazil’s shipbuilding and offshore sectors. Together, they introduce mechanisms to stimulate local production, expand fiscal incentives and enhance regulatory predictability — factors regarded as essential to rebuilding industrial capacity, restoring shipyard activity and reinforcing the national supply chain.
Law 15.075/2024 amends provisions of the Petroleum Law (9.478/1997) and defines new parameters for valuing local content in oil and gas projects. Among its key innovations is the transferability of local-content surpluses between contracts, effectively creating a market for “local-content credits.” The law also extends tax incentives for vessels built in Brazilian shipyards, including accelerated depreciation for ships operating in cabotage and offshore support, aimed at enhancing competitiveness and stimulating new construction orders.
Decree 12.362/2025 complements the law by allowing royalty reductions of up to 5 percent in Round Zero contracts, provided that operators reinvest in initiatives tied to local content. The measure is designed to encourage revitalization of mature fields, foster reinvestment in domestic production chains, and attract new suppliers to the sector.
According to Paulo Rolim, Advisory Services Lead at WSB Advisors, while the new framework creates short-term opportunities for shipyards and suppliers, its most impactful mechanisms remain temporary. “Accelerated depreciation, for example, is not a permanent State policy for shipbuilding but rather a transitional measure applicable only to contracts signed until the end of 2026,” he notes. Rolim adds that the long-term resilience of Brazil’s shipbuilding sector will depend on consistent legal instruments such as the Cabotage Law (9.432/1997) and the frameworks governing AFRMM and FMM, both regarded as true State policies that underpin industrial continuity.
Despite these limitations, the combination of Law 15.075/2024 and Decree 12.362/2025 demonstrates Brazil’s renewed commitment to strengthening its domestic production and technological base, while improving the overall attractiveness of offshore and maritime investment. The initiative signals progress toward a more balanced environment — one that values national content without compromising global competitiveness and efficiency.
This regulatory advance also aligns with broader trends in global energy transition, where nations seek to consolidate local shipbuilding capabilities as part of industrial policy and energy security strategies. Including Brazil in this conversation positions the country as a potential regional hub for offshore infrastructure and support vessel construction.
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