FAQ

As part of the CMA CGM Group, a global player in maritime, land, and air solutions since December 2017, Mercosul Line is a coastal shipping carrier and provider of multimodal logistics. Mercosul Line is a key element in the Group's strategy in Brazil, offering coastal navigation and the development of complementary logistics services.

Specializing in container cabotage, Mercosul Line serves the main ports of Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay. It offers a wide range of door-to-door solutions, combining multimodal logistics, ensuring cargo integrity, high reliability in maritime and land scheduling, and sustainable solutions for the supply chain.

In addition to standard container transport, our company also handles oversized cargo that exceeds the size of a conventional container.

Through the integration of maritime, road, and rail transport, Mercosul Line provides an efficient and responsible multimodal service, always striving to minimize the environmental impact of goods transportation.

Cabotage refers to the maritime transportation of goods between Brazilian ports, subject to specific regulations, while long-distance navigation involves international transportation between ports in different countries.

These modes offer notable advantages over road transportation, such as reducing congestion, lowering fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, and increasing cargo security.

In Cabotage operations, the company establishes connections between strategic ports along the East Coast of South America, providing integrated door-to-door logistics solutions that include road and rail transportation.

Cabotage and long-distance navigation offer multiple substantial benefits for the freight transport sector. Initially, they provide economies of scale, making them financially viable alternatives to road transport. These modes also help reduce congestion on land routes and offer greater energy efficiency, which translates to lower CO2 emissions and a reduced environmental impact.

Additionally, cabotage and long-distance navigation provide a higher level of security, with lower rates of accidents and theft compared to road transport, ensuring the preservation of cargo.

Mercosul Line capitalizes on these benefits by establishing connections between key ports in Brazil and neighboring countries such as Argentina and Uruguay. We offer integrated door-to-door logistics solutions and multimodal services (in cabotage operations) that enhance efficiency and reliability in freight transport, ensuring exceptional service to our customers.

Mercosul Line prides itself on offering an extensive network of cabotage routes that span the length of the Brazilian coast, serving ports in all regions of the country. This includes the Southeast, with ports such as Santos and Rio de Janeiro; the North, highlighting Manaus; the Northeast, with destinations like Salvador, Suape, and Pecem; and the South, serving Itapoá, Rio Grande, and Navegantes. Our cabotage services ensure the efficient movement of goods along the Brazilian coast.

Expanding our presence beyond national borders, Mercosul Line also operates long-haul navigation routes that establish connections between major Brazilian ports and key ports in the Mercosur region. This includes destinations in Argentina, such as Buenos Aires and Mar del Plata, and in Uruguay, with Montevideo being a notable highlight. These international routes are meticulously planned to optimize transit time, ensure safety, and preserve the integrity of the cargo, offering a reliable and efficient solution for the transportation of goods between Mercosur countries.

Mercosul Line provides maritime transport services that extend to several Mercosur countries. In addition to covering the Brazilian coast, our company establishes connections between Brazil and neighboring nations such as Argentina and Uruguay.

In Argentine ports, we serve Buenos Aires and Mar del Plata, and in Uruguay, we offer services at the port of Montevideo. These international routes are carefully planned to enhance logistics, ensure cargo safety, and provide an efficient and reliable transport solution between Mercosur countries.

To request a quote for cargo transportation with Mercosul Line, registered customers can visit the customer area on the official Mercosul Line website. After logging in, they should select the "Commercial" menu and choose the "Online Proposal" option. Then, fill out the provided form with the required information, including the type of cargo, weight, dimensions, ports of origin and destination, and any other pertinent details. Once the form is submitted, our commercial service team will review the request and provide a personalized quote.

If you are a new customer interested in obtaining a quote, you can contact us directly via email at comercial@mercosul-line.com.br. Our commercial team will be ready to provide all the necessary information, assisting you in the quote request process.

Mercosul Line prides itself on transporting a wide range of cargo types to meet the diverse needs of its customers. This includes consumer products such as food, beverages, and everyday items, industrial inputs like raw materials and components, and finished products intended for distribution, such as electronics and vehicles. The company also has experience handling bulk cargo suitable for containers, hazardous cargo such as chemicals and flammables, and oversized cargo that exceeds the dimensions of a standard container.

Additionally, Mercosul Line specializes in the transportation of refrigerated cargo, ensuring temperature maintenance throughout the entire journey. The company provides customized logistics solutions, combining maritime, road, and rail transport, to ensure that each type of cargo is transported safely and efficiently.

Yes. Mercosul Line is qualified to transport most types of cargo classified as hazardous. The company strictly adheres to all relevant national and international regulations and standards for the transportation of hazardous materials, which include chemicals, flammables, corrosives, and other substances considered risky.

Mercosul Line has a specialized team for handling and transporting these cargos, ensuring that all safety precautions are rigorously observed during maritime transport. Additionally, the company provides support to ensure that all required documentation and procedures are properly met, offering a safe and efficient solution for the transportation of hazardous cargo.

The vessel schedule, including arrival dates, end of operations, and deadlines for the Braco, Plata, and Atlas lines at each port, can be checked through the link: https://www.mercosul-line.com.br/en/servicos/rotas/programacao.

The booking process for cargo transportation at Mercosul Line begins after the negotiation and activation of a commercial proposal with our team of professionals. Once the proposal is confirmed, the client is guided by our onboarding team, which is responsible for creating their account on the Mercosul Line website and explaining, in detail, the entire procedure to be followed.

With the account duly activated, the client has the possibility to access the Booking section in the website menu and choose the "New Booking" option. In the system, the client is invited to select the specifics of the intended transportation, according to the previously agreed commercial proposal, choosing the desired ship and voyage, and filling out the booking form with the characteristics of the cargo. This involves providing information such as the type of merchandise, weight, dimensions, and any special requirements.

If the contracted service includes transportation to the destination port (Door-to-Door Mode), the client will also have the opportunity to schedule the cargo pickup directly in the Booking form. This meticulous method ensures that all aspects of the transportation are planned and executed with precision, offering a safe and reliable experience.

For any necessary changes to already confirmed bookings, we ask that you send your request via email to the customer service address - atendimento@mercosul-line.com.br

To ship cargo via Mercosul Line, it is necessary to present a series of documents that comply with regulations and ensure the safety of the transport.

Cabotage Transport:

• Invoice (NF): essential for issuing the Electronic Transport Knowledge (CT-e), the NF must contain all essential information, such as the net and gross weight of the goods and the NCM. It is crucial to send the NF before the established deadline to avoid tax fines and schedule variations.

Long Haul Transport:

• Bill of Lading Draft (BL Draft): The BL Draft is a preliminary version of the Bill of Lading, sent to the exporter for review before the final issuance. This document allows the shipper to verify all information, such as cargo details, transport terms, and consignee data, ensuring everything is correct before issuing the final document. The accuracy of the BL Draft is crucial to avoid problems during transport and cargo release at the destination. The information provided in the Bill of Lading by the Shipper is declarative, and the carrier is exempt from responsibility for any discrepancy between the declared cargo content and what is effectively stuffed by the shipper or its agent.

Dangerous Goods (IMO):

• SDS (Safety Data Sheet): provides details on the risks and safe handling of the product.
• MDGF (Multimodal Dangerous Goods Form): Dangerous Goods Declaration, which must be filled out with all necessary information about the cargo.
• Emergency Sheet: describes emergency procedures to be adopted in case of an accident during transport.
• Dangerous Goods Document (DMG): provides additional information about the dangerous cargo, including specific classifications and regulations to be observed.

Oversized Cargo:

• Lashing Certificate: certifies that the cargo is properly secured for transport. This certificate ensures that correct lashing procedures have been carried out to prevent unwanted movements during transport.
• All these documents must be properly filled out and presented to ensure transport without schedule variations and with maximum safety. The information provided is the exclusive responsibility of the shipper, with the carrier being exempt from responsibility for any discrepancy between the declared cargo content and what is effectively stuffed by the shipper or its agent.

To optimize the scheduling of road operations for cargo collection and delivery by Mercosul Line, requests must be made at least 48 hours in advance.

For distances exceeding 300 km, we advise that requests be made 72 hours in advance to ensure the efficiency of the service. Additionally, when scheduling deliveries, it is important to consider the operational deadlines of the ports, which can vary between 24 and 72 hours, depending on the location.

For more detailed information and to ensure that all operations are carried out as planned, do not hesitate to contact our customer service team. Our specialists are ready to provide all necessary guidance and assist in the scheduling process.

Cabotage Transport:

• Electronic Transport Document (CT-e): An automatic message is sent to the freight payer (responsible for the freight) at the email addresses registered in the system (provided during the onboarding process) containing the attached document. The first email is sent right after the CT-e is issued, and the second email is sent after the shipment confirmation.

Long-Haul Transport:

• Bill of Lading (BL): An unsigned copy of the BL can be printed by the shipper through the BL Portal at https://ecargo.mercosulline.com.br/portalbl/#/.
• After sending the proof of payment for the origin and destination fees, the request for the signed original BL must be made through the link https://agendamento.unimar-agency.com.br/mercosulline/.
• Exclusively for shipments originating from Buenos Aires, the request should be directed to the email cmacgmcustoms@ocean.com.ar.

The counting of the Detention period starts from the moment the empty container is picked up from the support terminal or depot indicated by Mercosul Line and concludes when the full container is delivered to the port or shipping terminal.

The counting of the Demurrage period begins on the day following the date the container is unloaded from the ship at the destination port terminal and ends when the empty container is returned by the customer to the depot specified by Mercosul Line.

To obtain the receipt for your cargo, you must send a request via email to atendimento@mercosul-line.com.br.

To obtain the invoice for your cargo, you are welcome to the invoice issuance portal, which you can access by clicking here. In this portal, you will find the freight invoices related to cabotage shipments.

If you encounter any difficulties generating the invoices, please contact us via email at fin.liberacao@mercosul-line.com.br.

If you do not yet have access to the portal, request access by sending a message to fin.liberacao@mercosul-line.com.br, providing the following information:

Company name;

CNPJ;

Name of the user/contact person;

Email;

Phone number.

To proceed with the release of your River Plate BL (Bill of Lading), you must send the proof of payment to the email fin. After payment confirmation, the instruction will be forwarded to the origin so that our agent can issue the BL and unlock the shipment. To check the status of released BLs, please contact us via the customer service email - atendimento@mercosul-line.com.br.

Yes, as long as the container meets international quality specifications. Containers from other carriers can be shipped with Mercosul Line as SOC, meaning the customer holds responsibility towards the other carrier.

Each shipment requires a meticulous preliminary analysis, which includes evaluating the capacity of the terminals and the ship to accommodate the specified cargo.

To proceed with this analysis, it is necessary to contact the responsible sales representative, providing detailed information and the technical drawing of the cargo so that a proper assessment can be conducted.

It refers to any complaint arising from a problem related to the cargo, such as loss, misplacement, wetting, and/or damage, occurring during the transportation of the cargo from the point of origin to the final destination, as defined in the respective Bill of Lading.

If it occurs at the time of container unloading, upon noticing any type of damage and/or loss in the cargo, you should stop the unloading process and immediately notify the customer service department and/or the Shortages and Damages department of Mercosul Line via email at bma.claims@cma-cgm.com, sending photos (container and goods) and relevant information.

The contacted department will subsequently respond regarding the need to send an inspector to oversee the unloading, as well as the requirement for document submission.

If the container shows any malfunction while in the possession of the customer, they should contact the Customer Service department as well as the Shortages and Damages department of Mercosul Line to request repair service from the technical team.