International destination listing

Senders should determine import restrictions from the country's authorities before posting:

• animal and vegetable fats and oils
• bees, silkworms and leeches
• beverages, spirits and vinegar
• ceramic products
• colouring matter derived from oil
• consumer goods, used
• coffee, tea, mate, spices, cocoa and cocoa preparations
• childrens and colouring books
• dairy produce
• diamonds
• essences of beverages
• electric musical instruments
• fish, crustaceans and molluscs dried, salted or in brine presented in cuts and appropriate packaging
• fruits, citrus and melons
• footwears and headgears
• glass and glassware
• medicines/pharmaceutical products
• meat salted in brine, dried or smoked
• live plants and floriculture products
• photographic/cinematographic goods
• parasites and insect killers
• plastics and rubbers
• products of the milling industry, malt, starches
• paper and paperboard products
• primary cells and batteries
• raw hides
• seeds / soil
• sugar and sugar confectionery
• salt
• silk, yarn
• saccharine
• sugarcane
• textile products
• vegetables
• wood and related products.

An import permit is required for all commercial goods. Before posting any item, senders should confirm that the addressee has any necessary permit.

The Brazilian Institute for Environment and Renewable Resources is responsible for the approval of endangered species of wild flora and fauna imported into Brazil.

The National Health Surveillance Agency is responsible for the approval of food related products imported into Brazil.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply is responsible for the observance of the quality criteria when accepting products which affect the national animal and vegetable species.

Postage stamps

Brazil admits postage stamps only in registered letters.

Gifts

Brazil does not make allowances for shipments to be cleared as "Gifts". All documentation requirements that would normally apply to commercial shipments are required and any duties, import fees or taxes will be assessed if applicable.

Prohibited items

In addition to items considered non-mailable matter, the following are prohibited:

• abortion-procurement items
• alcohol
• animals and animal products
• binoculars, monoculars for night vision
• cereals
• color prints for the theatrical and television market
• equipment to produce and reload ammunition
• fescue seeds native of North America, Asia, Africa and Oceania
• gold for monetary use
• imitations of firearms
• lottery tickets and circulars
• live fish, crusaceans, and molluscs
• meat of bovine, swine, sheep, goat, horse, asses, mules origin
• organic chemicals
• obsolete arms, or arms for collection
• postage stamps, unless in registered letters
• playing cards
• publications of an immoral or subversive nature
• tobacco, tobacco products and tobacco substitute products
• video games
• weapons
• writing material.

Documentation required

Information regarding Customs can be found in "Customs Requirements" of the Canada Postal Guide.

In addition, all commercial and private articles exceeding $25US in value mailed to Brazil must include a commercial invoice in quadruplicate, endorsed by a Brazilian Consulate.

Medicines

Medicines must include a document bearing details of their composition on the outside of the packing.

Document Requirements

All Brazilian importers and exporters must be registered with the Foreign Trade Secretariat (SECEX) of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism (MICT). The inscription number on the Natural Person Register (CPF) or in the General Taxpayer Register of the Revenue Ministry (CGC), of the consignee must appear on the commercial invoice or other documentation for clearance.

Product registration in Brazil is a laborious task. Only companies with local operations have standing to apply for registration of medical products. Depending on the product, the registration may be valid from two to five years and can be renewed continuously for the same period.

Manufacturers must disclose to the local authorities, through their agents, the technical information of the product, e.g., components and parts of the medical devices. In the case of pharmaceutical drugs and cosmetics, one must inform the active and inactive ingredients. Instructions, directions, cautions, labels, brochures, and pertinent information about the products must be translated into Portuguese.

The product registration process often takes more than one year. Should the process take longer than three months, importers and producers are allowed to use a protocol number provided by the Brazilian authorities to distribute their products in Brazil. However, by doing so they assume the risk of product liability claims if their products are found to be unsafe by the Brazilian authorities.

Brazil Customs requires that any incoming parcels be clearly marked with the recipient’s name, address and tax ID number. For individuals, the tax ID number is a CPF (Cadastro de Pessoas Físicas) and for businesses it’s the CNPJ (Cadastro Nacional da Pessoa Jurídica).

Certificates of Origin – A Certificate of Origin is recommended to be provided for every commodity subject to import licensing and /or quota restrictions from some origin countries.

Commercial Invoices – Invoices are required for all dutiable shipments relating to commercial transactions between companies and companies, companies and individuals, regardless of the value. Commercial invoices should show freight, insurance and similar charges as separate items when applicable, regardless of the INCOTERM used on the transaction.

Specific invoice details are required for a number of commodities including the following:

• Textiles - the fabric breakdown, whether knit or woven and, for clothing articles, the gender;
• Marked/mutilated samples - the words “mutilated samples” or “ marked samples, not for resale” as applicable;
• Software on CD’s and floppy disks - The value of software must be shown separately from software support.

Declaration of Antiquity – A declaration must be shown on the invoice for goods over 100 years old. The statement must include the words “ circa date” followed by the year of manufacture whether known or estimated.

Customs Valuation

On January 1, 1995, Brazil implemented the MERCOSUL Common Nomenclature, known as the NCM (Nomenclatura Comum do MERCOSUL), consistent with the Harmonized System (HS) for tariff classification.

Gifts

Brazil does not make allowances for shipments to be cleared as "Gifts". All documentation requirements that would normally apply to commercial shipments are required and any duties, import fees or taxes will be assessed if applicable.

Customs Procedure:

The Import Declaration (DI) is required to contain the following information:

• Complete name and address of importer
• Description of goods with classification numbers
• Unit price and total value of product
• Origin of the goods
• Tax ID number

Goods costing $US3000 or less imported through the postal service or courier falls under the Simplified Taxation Regime (RTS). Customs applies a 60 % tax rate over the invoice price, plus shipping and insurance costs. When the value exceeds $500 US, the importer must register a Simplified Import Declaration (DSI).

Brazil Customs requires that any incoming parcels be clearly marked with the recipients name, address and tax ID number. For individuals, the tax ID number is a CPF (Cadastro de Pessoas Físicas) and for businesses it’s the CNPJ (Cadastro Nacional da Pessoa Jurídica).