Brazil government eases vehicle imports from Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – As of Thursday, September 2, vehicles and parts assembled in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay will no longer require an import license to enter Brazil, the Ministry of Economy said. Inspections will be performed later which, according to the Ministry, will make the importation faster and cheaper.

The change will not affect the Brazilian automotive sector because, currently vehicles and automotive products from MERCOSUR countries are subject to tariff quotas established in trade agreements.

The quantity of cars entering the country, therefore, will not change. Only the process will be faster and less bureaucratic.

In a statement, the Foreign Trade Secretariat of the Ministry of Economy said that the change is in line with the commitments made by Brazil in the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Trade Facilitation and is part of the government’s agenda to reduce bureaucracy. The new rules were published in the Federal Official Gazette on August 26.

AVIATION

In another resolution published yesterday, September 1, the Chamber of Foreign Trade (CAMEX) eliminated the MERCOSUR common external tariff for 19 aviation-related products. The measure is part of the special import regime exempting the aeronautical sector from import taxes on aircraft and flight training devices and their components.

With the decision, the number of aeronautical products exempt from foreign tariffs rose to 887. According to CAMEX, the measure will help improve competitiveness in the airline industry, affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The exemption from the special import regime also reaches the sector of aeronautical services. Thus, companies and airlines may have access to machinery and products used in the sector, such as passenger boarding bridges and products used on board.