Know our history

Founding Chairman: Francisco António de Campos, Baron of Vila Nova de Foz Côa (1834 – 1835) Headquarters: Rua do Arsenal, 60. On the 12th June, a group of 277 entrepreneurs, following the extinction of the ancient Lisbon and Oporto’s Traders Regulation (1293), established the first provisional regulation of the Associação Mercantil de Lisboa (Lisbon Mercantile Association), which still exists in the current by-laws of the Chamber. The Association has pioneered the business associations in Portugal, being the first economic corporation in the country. The first by-laws, approved this year, clarified the aimed purpose: “to promote whatever may deem useful to the Portuguese Trade and aimed to national prosperity (...), refraining from any political or religious interference”. In the same year the Association runs the first efforts to restore "Folha Comercial da Praça de Lisboa", a periodical which had then suspended publication. The Association called all manufacturers classes in crisis and spoke to the government in favour of disadvantaged manufacturers. A Commercial Law course was created.

Chairman: José Ferreira Pinto Basto, founder of Vista Alegre (1835 – 1836) Members oppose to the President's attempt in that "Markets should be regulated by the Chief Magistrate of Trade", a position he then occupied. In collaboration with the Bank of Lisbon, the Association channels a loan to the Government, which founds Companhia Confiança (this institution merges later with the Bank of Lisbon giving way to the Bank of Portugal). In the same year it is created Companhia de Pescarias Lisbonense (Lisbon Fishery Company) and the Association promotes the sale of its shares. One of the fields that suffered pressure from the Association was the Technical Education and was created the "Course of Trade Law" taught by Jose Maria Alves de Sá

Chairman: João de Oliveira (1836 – 1837) The Association founds the Political Economy course, taught by António d'Oliveira Marreca.

Chairman: Manuel Emídio da Silva (1837 – 1839)

The Association publishes the book Noções Elementares de Economia Política (Elementary Notions of Political Economy) by the above mentioned economist.

Chairman: José Cordeiro Feyo (1839 - 1840) - The Minister of the Navy consults on the Association the opportunity to form a steamship company in order to facilitate the coastal communications with the American Ports

Chairman: João Pinto de Matos (1840 - 1845)

Chairman: Miguel Bernardo de Oliveira Borges (1845 - 1852) The Association begins a series of steps aimed to create Montepio comercial to help the trade employees’ children, widows and elderly relatives.

Direct intervention in the preparation of draft laws of the ballast to put an end to existing monopolies.

Chairman: Henrique Nunes Cardoso (1852 - 1854)

Chairman: José Enes (1855 - 1856) The Association held a campaign for the foundation of Companhia de Socorros a Náufragos (Rescue to Castaways Company). This works in the headquarters of the Association until 1880, when it is created Instituto de Socorros a Náufragos de Cascais (Cascais Institute for Rescue to Castaway). During the cholera and yellow fever epidemics that killed about 6,000 people and affected about 20,000, it promotes the collection of funds for the victims. This contribution was duly appreciated by the young monarch Pedro V. AML came to be called the Associação Comercial de Lisboa (Lisbon Trade Association).

Chairman: Sebastião José de Abreu (1856 - 1861)

Chairman: Camilo Jose Maria Mendonça (1862 - 1863) Headquarters: Rua do Alecrim, 10

Chairman: José Guedes Izidoro (1864 - 1867) Headquarters: Rua do Alecrim, 22

Fire at the Rua do Arsenal, where flames the Association’s head office that was also shared by Companhia das Lezírias, Contrato dos Tabacos, Bank of Portugal and the Municipality of Lisbon.

Chairman: José Ribeiro da Cunha (1868 - 1869)

Chairman: Carlos Ferreira dos Santos Silva (1869 - 1870)

Chairman: Joaquim Filipe Miranda (1870 - 1871)

Chairman: José Ribeiro da Cunha (1871 - 1874) The Association participates in the discussion of a Law proposal on the tonnage and the storage of customs. In the same year, it calls for policing and cleaning of the premises.

Headquarters: Praça do Comércio, next to the room of the Lisbon Commodity Exchange

In May of that year, the Association prevents the endeavour of the docks and the port warehouses to be delivered to the Companhia Debrousse, candidate for the monopoly of use.

Chairman: Francisco de Oliveira Chamiço (1875 - 1881)

ACL intervenes during the placement of marine cables.

The Association takes part in the official visit of the King of Spain.

Chairman: Carlos Ferreira dos Santos Silva (1882 - 1884)

ACL projects the Reform of Commercial Education which was later officially adopted.

The Association takes part in the reorganization of administrative fees for customs services. It is called to give its opinion on the long-distance communications.

Chairman: Eduardo Ferreira Pinto Basto (1885 - 1886) To raise awareness of the Portuguese products abroad, the Association participates in international exhibitions and conferences. It participates at the Paris Exposition. It organizes a tribute session, in partnership with the Geographical Society on the occasion of the return of Hermenegildo Capelo and Roberto Ivens. A gold coin then minted was offered to the two explorers. It creates António Augusto de Aguiar Award for the best-rated students of Instituto Industrial e Comercial de Lisboa (Industrial and Commercial Institute of Lisbon), elevated to the Superior Course shortly after.

Chairman: Policarpo José Lopes dos Anjos (1886 - 1888)

The Association participates in the Portuguese Industrial exposure. Headquarters: Rua da Assunção, 42

The Association takes part in the Barcelona exhibition

Chairman: Teodoro Ferreira Pinto Basto (1889) Chairman: Otolini Earl (1889-1891)

ACL participates in Buenos Aires exposure.

In a last tribute to the great patriot and traveling salesman from Bié, Silva Porto, the Association promotes the closing of shops on the arrival of his remains.

Chairman: Luis Eugenio Leitão (1892 - 1893)

The Association intervenes in the expansion of the telephone network in Lisbon. The Regenerator Government of Hintze Ribeiro presents to the Parliament the proposals for a reform of tariffs and industrial tax tables. This measure triggers complaints from various companies all over the country. ACL centralised this movement with a proxy from all the associations of Trade and Industry.

Chairman: António Joaquim Simões de Almeida (1894 - 1902)

Headquarters: Praça da Alegria, 8

ACL collaborates in the National Navigation Commission

Chairman: José Adolfo de Melo e Sousa (1903 - 1904) Headquarters: Praça do Comércio The Association participates in the official visit of King Edward VII of England and is given the knighthood "Royal Victorian Order". It is merged with Câmara de Comércio e Indústria Portuguesa (Portuguese Chamber of Commerce and Industry), keeping all the duties, charges and previous privileges.

Chairman: Ernesto Driésel Schroeter (1905 - 1906)

Chairman: José Carlos de Carvalho Person (1906 - 1907)

Chairman: Ernesto Driésel Schroeter (1907 - 1908)

Chair: Fernando Munró dos Anjos (1909 - 1910)

Chairman: Henrique José Monteiro de Mendonça (1911 - 1913)

The Association acted as intermediary between the Government and the frigate sailors and dockers unions. A competion to draw up an “Economic History of Portugal” is opened. ACL-CCIP organizes, at its headquarters, trade shorthand courses directed by W. Teague, which had a large turnout.

Chairman: Carlos Gomes (1913 - 1914) The Association participates in a committee of businessmen and literary men that goes to Brazil. From this trip, the Portugal Propaganda Commissions appears (1916) and the tourism promotion becomes part of national traders’ habits whose activities can be stimulated by foreign purchases. ACL-CCIP creates “Academia do Comércio e Exportação” (Trade and Export Academy) for the commercial travellers training, inspired by the Vienna’s Export Academie.

Chairman: Antonio Carneiro de Sousa Lara (1915 - 1916)

The Association takes the initiative to place on sale on board ships Portuguese souvenirs, paving the way for a new form of commercial production: tourism. ACL-CCIP creates a special course for office workers for a period of four years. It draws up petitions for the creation of Portuguese Language subjects in countries with whom Portugal has business relationships.

Chairman: Alberto Macieira (1917 - 1922)

Chairman: Adriano Julio Coelho (1922 - 1923) ACL is established in Palácio do Comércio, former Palace Clube, where it remains until the present.

Chairman: Moisés Amzalak (1923 - 1926) The conferences held on its headquarters or in specialized Congresses reach a high point in this year, on Congresso das Associações Industriais e Comerciais de Lisboa (Congress of Lisbon’s Industrial and Commercial Associations).

The newspaper A Época announces the the support of other associations on the Association's positions, so "it would not be alone against the government anymore." It supports União dos Interesses Económicos (Economic Interests Union), promotes a Congresso das Corporações Económicas (Economic Corporations Congress) and buys thee newspaper Século to give a voice to its claims.

ACL-CCIP became embroiled in a crisis due to its complains against the new provisions on sealing drinks and perfumery products, position that was followed by many other economic cooperations across the country. Their protests were received as insults by the Government of José Domingues dos Santos. Of greater importance was the shock of the Decree No. 10474, from 1925, which regulated a set of banking measures. The Association understood that the spirit of Decree authorized the political interference in administrative affairs in the Bank of Portugal, unduly increased the tax burden, required the forced merge of small banking institutions, restricted mobility operations of credit and favoured unduly Caixa Geral de Depósitos. On 6th February the Government extinguished ACL-CCIP for all legal purposes, considering that eschewed compliance with the original purpose, causing political unrest. The closure of the ACL-CCIP turned out to be an episode quickly overtaken due to the activity of the board. With the resumption of the activities, ACL-CCIP drives new complaints and objections to the Administration.

Chairman: Francisco António Correia (1927) He failed to take hold by the incompatibility with public offices Chairman: Marcelino Nunes Correia (1927-1931)

Chairman: Carlos Queiroz (1931 - 1932)

Chairman: Eduardo Alberto Lima Basto (1932 - 1933)

Chairman Joaquim Roque da Fonseca (1936 - 1948) The Association requires to the Ministry of Public Works more berths, dry-docks, cranes, free zones, trading posts, warehouses, scales and grain silos. It organizes Centro de Documentação Económica (Economic Information Centre), for which several individuals collaborate offering books and publications. More than a reading room, the Centre was to provide data knowledge of economic order to Members, students and technical colleges and to everyone interested.

The Association receives Grand Master of Portuguese orders.

ACL-CCIP organizes a series of conferences on foreign markets, resulting in the creation of a centre of economic documentation, in the participation in fairs and in organizing a trade mission to Brazil.

End of the II World War. Portugal exposes its private world with a great contribution of ACL-CCIP and brings an unexpected prosperity to the commercial interests. At the time, the Association was the non-governmental body with greater knowledge about the operation of port infrastructures. It multiplies in 32 economic sections, forming a council composed by the elite of the national economy to foster business and international contacts at an international conference in the US. Constitution of the Portuguese delegation to the International Economic Conference of Rye, New York.

Chairman: Carlos Mantero (1948 - 1954) In the post-war period, ACL-CCIP faced the problems of economic reorganization through various initiatives: Conference series, articles published in the press, the magazine Comércio Português, export inquiries, the creation of the Lisbon Commercial Association Council.

The Association engages to act according to its Chamber of Commerce functions, confident that a new economic situation is in the pipeline, and that the international integration will weigh increasingly in domestic trade.

ACL-CCIP creates the Cultural Award Silva Martha to distinguish the most important works in the fields of history and economics.

Chairman: Eliseu da Costa Vilaça (1955-1958). ACL-CCIP is elected to the Presidency of the International Bureau of Chambers of Commerce. It contributes regularly to the magazine Comércio Português.

Chairman: Bernardo Mendes de Almeida, Count of Caria (1959-1963). The Association supports the II Master Plan: to achieve goals in GDP levels and in the employment. It acquires Palácio do Comércio (offer from the Members), headquarters where it develops its activities till today.

The Decree-Law No. 44016 of November 8 and other subsequent legislation were particularly important for the ACL-CCIP activity, since they defined as a set of measures for the integration of the economic area: elimination of customs duties and the abolition of quantitative restrictions on trade in goods between the metropolis and the overseas territories; regulation on the exchanges and inter-territorial payments; implementation of a government enhancement plan at national level. Invited to give its opinion on these provisions, ACL-CCIP drafted its response based on a survey to its Member companies. On the answers to this survey some restrictions and recommended liberalization in intercontinental trade in goods are recommended. On its internal activity the recognition as an issuing association of ECS carnets for commercial samples became an important source of revenue. The system is effective on August 15, 1961.

The Association creates CEGOC - Centro de Estudos de Gestão e Organização Científica (Management and Scientific Organization Studies Center) in collaboration with AIP, AC Porto and the French body CEGOS. In this year nine stages of modern techniques of management companies took place, with the presence of 236 participants. At the end of 1969, 340 internships with 6,500 participants had been realized.

Chairman: Caetano Leglise da Cruz Vidal (1967-1974). Misunderstanding of the Association about the state mechanisms for economic intervention.

Completion of the works within the headquarters. The building was equipped with meeting rooms and adequate facilities to the functioning of the internal services.

On the eve of the revolution, entire publications are dedicated to the accession of the Portuguese Economic Space to the community and its members. The Association maintains collaborative assignments and consultation with the State: in scholarship funds, and commodities, studies about the port of Lisbon, monetary affairs, fisheries and other tax matters or in Values Arbitration Court.

Chairman: Sergio Teixeira de Queiroz (1975-1982). The number of Members exceeds one thousand.

The Association joined the Eurochambres – the Association of European Chambers of Commerce (where it is the Portuguese representative). It also joins the Permanent Conference of the EEC Chambers of Commerce, becoming the only Portuguese institution at this meeting.

News arrived at ACL-CCIP of the "new giant brains" of "punch cards" systems or "electronic offices" due to the informatics revolution. It receives Ordem do Mérito Empresarial (Business Merit Order) awarded by Classe do Mérito Industrial.

Chairman: Jorge de Avillez (1982-1987).

Presence of His Excellency the President of the Portuguese Republic, General Ramalho Eanes and His Excellency the Prime Minister, Mário Soares, in the solemn commemorative session of the 150th anniversary of ACL and the 50th anniversary of the ICC. The Association authorizes the AC from Porto to also issue ATA carnets.

The Association striven for many years so that in Portugal there was a modern framework for dispute resolution by arbitration. It requested the right to be recognized you to create an Arbitration Centre, shortly after the creation in Portugal of the first Voluntary Arbitration Law (Law No. 31/86 of 29 August), and was recognized this right by Orders of the Minister of Justice No. 9/87 of 29 January and No. 26/87 of 9 March.

Chairman: Vasco Pinto Basto (1988-1992).

Chairman: João Mendes de Almeida (1993-2004).

Chairman: Bruno Carlos Pinto Basto Bobone (2005 - Present).

Promotion of the study "Sea Economic Hypercluster", prepared under the supervision of Professor Ernani Lopes, which gave rise to the Forum Empresarial da Economia do Mar (Business Forum of Sea Economy).

Creation of Invest Lisbon in an agreement with the Municipality of Lisbon and AICEP. His Excellecny the President of the European Commission, Durão Barroso was the guest of honour at the celebration lunch of the 175 years of the ACL-CCIP.

Establishment of a strategic partnership with CIEP – Confederação Internacional dos Empresários Portugueseses (International Confederation of Portuguese Entrepreneurs), which promotes Portuguese Chambers of Commerce abroad.

Promotion of a strategic study on the Economic Justice in Portugal, in partnership with the Foundation Francisco Manuel dos Santos.

Launch of the project "The Interior Need of It", which identifies business opportunities and work within Portugal.

Creation of Francisco de Melo and Torres Award which aims to reward annually the head of a diplomatic mission that has been highlighted by his personal commitment to support the internationalization of Portuguese companies and in attracting foreign investment, contributing to the growth of the Portuguese economy.

Launch of a new brand “Câmara de Comércio e Indústria Portuguesa” (Portuguese Chamber of Commerce and Industry) in the presence of the Minister of Economy, António Pires de Lima.