This booklet sets out the history of, and some notable events in, the remarkable and long-standing relationship between the Brazilian shipping community and the UK P&I Club.

The UK Club itself was founded in 1869 by British shipowners with like-minded interests in the provision of insurance for collision and other Protection & Indemnity risks. During the 20th century, the Club broadened its membership base, and developed into a P&I insurer of internationally based shipowners.

The Brazilian shipowning community has played a key role in the successful development of the Club for more than 60 years.

First members

The first Brazilian member, Companhia Comercio e Navegacao (“CCN”), appears in the Club records in 1948. CCN was established in 1905, and together with Companhia de Navegacao Lloyd Brasileiro (est 1890) and Companhia Nacional de Navegacao Costeira (est 1891), formed a Brazilian triumvirate of shipping lines that grew to dominate the national shipping market in the 1920s and 1930s, in response to the huge expansion of Brazil’s industrialisation and shipment of cement, iron & steel, paper & cellulose, rubber, chemicals and refrigerated products.

Companhia Nacional de Navegacao Costeira, which joined the Club in 1962, was founded in 1882 by Portuguese immigrants, themselves descended from shipowners, and which operated originally under the name of Lage & Irmaos.

The company was known famously to own and operate ships whose names all began with ITA-, originating in the Tupi-Guarani language. Until 1920, all the ships’ captains were British nationals. In 1934, the Brazilian Olympic team travelled to the Los Angeles games on board ITAPAGE.

The Brazilian exPresident Itamar Franco has said that he was born onboard a Costeira ship, and appropriately named in recognition of the fact. In November of 1966, by Federal Decree, the Costeira fleet was incorporated into Lloyd Brasileiro.

Read more in the attached resource.