Beyond vessel construction, the approved portfolio covers inland navigation, maritime support vessels, and cargo shipping, as well as maintenance, repair and modernisation works at shipyards across several Brazilian states. New project submissions can be presented until April 20, 2026, and approved projects will have up to 450 days — extendable by a further 180 days — to finalise financing agreements with qualified lending institutions, including BNDES, Banco do Brasil, Banco da Amazônia, Banco do Nordeste and Caixa Econômica Federal.

The 63rd Ordinary Meeting of the CDFMM is scheduled for June 18, 2026. The approval comes amid a consistent acceleration of the Fund: throughout 2025, the FMM approved R$ 31.8 billion spread across more than 700 projects, with projections for 2026 pointing to up to R$ 34 billion in new approvals.

The scale and pace of FMM approvals in 2026 reflect a deliberate policy shift, one that elevates port and naval infrastructure to a strategic pillar of national competitiveness — rather than treating it merely as a regional development tool. The concentration of over 70% of this latest round in just two projects (Porto Central and Petrobras’ fleet expansion) signals a clear preference for priority investments, which is a coherent approach given the Fund’s leverage potential. However, the success of this agenda will ultimately depend on execution: the sector’s track record of converting approvals into operational vessels and functional port terminals within contractual deadlines remains a legitimate concern — and one the market is watching with a degree of skepticism.