The call “blouse fee“, a tax that applied to purchases of up to US$50, was removed from popular platforms Shein, Shopee and Ali Express.
On Tuesday night (12), the Federal Government signed a provisional measure that ends the 20% taxation imposed on this type of taxation. The initiative was made official in a provisional measure published in an extra edition of the DOU (Official Gazette of the Union) and came into force from the following day.
According to the communications teams at Shein, Shopee and Ali Express, all three international giants are in compliance with the new MP.
“SHEIN has already implemented the new rule. We are working to ensure that the systems and platform updates occur smoothly”, explained the first company.
Shopee, in turn, stated that it complies with current legislation and is in compliance with recent changes implemented by the federal government.
“The focus has always been on location. 95% of sales are made by Brazilian sellers, a reflection of the continuous commitment to entrepreneurship, income generation and contribution to the country’s economy”, added the company.
AliExpress also confirmed that it removed the fee on Wednesday (13). “The repeal of the import tax expands Brazilian consumers’ access to global products, technologies and brands that are often not available on the national market,” stated the company.
Therefore, the 20% tax is no longer part of international purchases for natural persons. However, other fees, such as Import Tax (II) and state ICMS, which varies from 17% to 20%, will still be charged on products.
Buying abroad will be more affordable
The end of the “tax on low-value blouses” (below US$50.00) made by Brazilians.
This difference occurs because the rate not only directly increases the value of the product, but also expands the ICMS calculation base, which makes the product even more expensive.
The federal tax was created in the context of the Conforming Remittance program, in 2023, and came into force with an imposed rate of 20% for items up to US$50 on August 1, 2024, along with the 60% tax for purchases from US$50.01 to US$1,000.
However, the measure had already been discussed by the government for some time. The political wing of the administration believed that the tax had a negative impact on President Lula’s approval.
The Latam Pulse Brasil survey, for example, carried out by AtlasIntel in partnership with Bloomberg, showed that for 62% of Brazilians the charge would be the biggest mistake made by the Lula government so far.
Even so, the rate was defended by parts of the country’s economic sectors, due to the loss of revenue and pressure from national industry.
