en.Wedoany.com Reported - Brazil's National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANP) has decided to indefinitely postpone the review of revisions to the rules for bottled liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) sales. The agency's board had originally planned to evaluate a public consultation on a proposal to amend the market regulatory framework in this sector this Friday (12th), but ultimately postponed the discussion, redirecting resources to monitor the impact of the Middle East conflict on domestic fuel supply.
ANP Director Artur Watt Neto, in explaining the decision, noted that the agency faces resource constraints, requiring a temporary adjustment of team focus and priorities. The current primary task is market monitoring and taking preventive measures to mitigate potential risks to domestic fuel supply.
The proposal to suspend the planned actions in the 2025-2026 regulatory agenda was put forward by the Director himself and unanimously approved by the board. The measure also includes the emergency reassignment of staff to the price monitoring and supply security departments.
Director Symone Araújo emphasized that even if a peace agreement is reached between Iran and the United States, the aftereffects of the geopolitical conflict may persist. The normalization of the international fuel market could take a considerable amount of time. She also noted that Brazil's diesel consumption typically increases in the second half of the year due to transport demand during the agricultural harvest season, coinciding with the approaching hurricane season in the Gulf of Mexico. Climate forecasts indicate a possible super El Niño event, which could lead to severe drought in northern Brazil and heavy rainfall in the south, requiring additional attention from the ANP.
Consequently, the following actions from the ANP's regulatory agenda have been suspended:
Item 4.6: Revision of ANP Resolution No. 795/2029, which establishes the obligation for producers, importers, and distributors to submit sales price data for petroleum derivatives and biofuels, among other measures (Superintendence of Competition Protection – SDC);
Item 4.8: Revision of ANP Resolutions No. 957/2023 and No. 958/2023, which regulate the distribution and resale activities of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) (Superintendence of Distribution and Logistics – SDL);
Item 4.9: Development of a plan establishing guidelines for regulated entities to follow in situations of risk or interruption of specific fuel supply (SDL);
Item 5.4: Revision of ANP Resolution No. 915/2023 to update the criteria for applying lead times, recidivism, and the suspension and revocation of penalties in the agency's regulatory actions (Superintendence of Supply Regulation – SFI).
In terms of market reaction, the National Association of LPG Distributors (Sindigás) expressed a positive view of the ANP board's decision to suspend the review process for LPG sector reforms. The association believes that the regulatory debate on these measures requires deeper technical analysis and supplementary studies, and that the ideas currently under discussion still need validation regarding their economic viability, scalability, and long-term sustainability.
Sindigás emphasized that Brazil has, over decades, established one of the most extensive and efficient LPG distribution networks globally, delivering the product regularly to nearly all municipalities in the country with high safety standards and broad coverage. The association noted that existing rules can be improved, but only if the foundations that make the Brazilian model a benchmark for international safety and service quality are preserved. The entity believes that the set of proposals under discussion, as a whole, lacks sufficient technical basis, and that specific measures, such as pre-filling and breaking the convex brand markings on cylinders, could increase sector vulnerabilities, creating loopholes for fraud, tax evasion, and illegal operations in a market crucial to over 66 million Brazilian households.
The association also pointed out that Law No. 15,348/2026 (People's Gas Law) and CNPE Resolution No. 3/2026 establish clear guidelines for sector regulation, including elements such as legal certainty, investment predictability, compliance with technical standards, and consumer protection, which are considered fundamental to maintaining the sustainability of the People's Gas program. Sindigás reaffirmed its commitment to the modernization and continuous improvement of the LPG sector and will continue to provide technical support to the ANP in subsequent regulatory debates, seeking solutions that balance efficiency, safety, and social welfare.
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