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Brazil moving to simplify foreign trade rules

September 18, 2008
World Trade\Interactive

The National Strategy on Foreign Trade Rules Simplification launched in May by the Brazilian Chamber of Foreign Trade is beginning to show its first visible results. The goal of this initiative is to facilitate international trade by reducing bureaucracy and improving the management of operations and procedures.

All 18 Brazilian agencies involved in regulating imports and exports are reviewing their rules and are tasked with approving specific measures by the end of this year. A number of steps have been taken already, including the following.

• The Civil Air Transportation Coordination Commission of the National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) announced July 23 that it has withdrawn itself as a consenting agency for the import and export of aeronautical components. This decision will help alleviate congestion at ports, airports and land borders, facilitate export operations and reduce costs in the sector. ANAC will continue to be responsible for export operations security for goods destined to another bonded location.

• The National Agency for Health and Phytosanitary Control (ANVISA) has determined that all health products manufactured in Brazil for export no longer need to be registered. ANVISA has also given up its right to approve exports of certain health products. These decisions aim to eliminate unnecessary controls and make export procedures faster and less expensive without compromising security.

• The Internal Revenue Department recently posted to its Web site a service called “External Public Consulting” that allows members of the public to make suggestions for changes in customs rules. The objective is to increase the quality and effectiveness of these rules and to confer greater transparency and visibility with respect to the adoption of new procedures in the future.

• The Ministry of Agriculture, together with the Federal Data Processing Service (SERPRO) and the Internal Revenue Department, is analyzing the possibility of creating a “Green Line” for companies that import merchandise that does not contain wood packaging material.

• SERPRO is allowing importers to submit their import declarations to the Integrated System of Foreign Trade (Siscomex) even if an import license has not yet been issued. This will eliminate the need to obtain authorizations on a case-by-case basis and thus aid in the implementation of a more automated licensing procedure.