Shipowners Liability Limits in Brazil Brazil applies strict domestic maritime liability laws rather than international limits, leaving shipowners, especially for pollution claims, exposed to uncapped risk, despite possible future reform for oil tankers under CLC 92. Articles Toby Orford Published: April 29, 2026 Contact author Download article pdf UPDATE JUNE 2026  Brazil’s National Congress has completed its approval of the 1992 Civil Liability Convention (CLC92) legislation. On 27 May 2026 (and following the recent vote in the Chamber of Deputies (the lower house), the Federal Senate (the upper house) voted in favour of ratification and incorporation.  The constitutional process will be completed when the President gives (via his signature) executive authorisation. Brazil will then deposit the Instrument of Ratification with the IMO Secretary-General, for registration, updating and notification to other states. The CLC 92 Convention is expected to become binding on Brazil after a waiting time of approx. 3 – 12 months.  Subject to any formalities for domestic law implementation) the new and substantially increased CLC limits will be calculated in SDRs (IMF Special Drawing Rights) (1 SDR = approx.. USD 1.35–1.40): Ship size (GT)                  Limit of liability ≤ 5,000 GT                        4,510,000 SDR  5,000 GT                           4,510,000 SDR + 631 SDR per GT over 5,000 ≥ 140,000 GT                    89,770,000 SDR (maximum) (approx. USD 123m). Insurance and Certificates of Financial Responsibility (C