CNDL research shows that 18.3% stopped buying on foreign websites and 40.7% started buying less after the tax on imports of up to US$50
Most recent survey of (National Confederation of Retail Managers) shows that 59% of Brazilians reduced or stopped purchasing on international websites from June 2024 to June 2025. Of this total, 18% stated that they completely stopped purchasing on foreign platforms. The call “”, which created a 20% charge on imports up to US$50, came into force on August 1, 2024.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) on Tuesday (May 12, 2026) approved the provisional measure that eliminates the import tax on these international purchases. The new rule has already come into force.
The survey shows that 96% of Brazilians made purchases on international websites from June 2024 to June 2025, even with the so-called “blouse fee”.
From 2024 to 2025, the percentage of the population that buys on international websites went from 97.6% to 95.8%, a drop of almost 2 percentage points.
The percentage of Brazilians who made purchases on national websites registered a drop of 18 percentage points in the period. It went from 89% to 70.9%.
The survey was carried out from June 13 to 25, 2025. 1,094 interviews were carried out to identify the percentage of people who purchased online in the previous 12 months. The questions were asked to the 800 respondents (out of 1,094) who said they had made purchases on international websites in the previous survey period. The margin of error is 2.96 and 3.46 percentage points respectively. Read the (PDF – 2 MB).
END OF TAX
Lula signed the provisional measure that ends the ” in a closed meeting, without access to journalists. The signature was also not included in the president’s public agenda. The new rules are part of one for the campaign for a 4th presidential term. Read the (PDF – 67 KB).
The measure signed by Lula does not change the collection of ICMS, a tax that is also charged on these purchases and which varies from State to State.
The provisional measure is valid for up to 120 days. Congress needs to approve the text during this period. Otherwise, the measure expires and the tax comes back into force. During the congressmen’s recess, in July, the deadline stops counting. But as there will be elections in October, Congress usually does not move forward with important votes in the 2nd semester.
Now criticized by Lula and some of his allies, the “blouse fee” was defended by the government’s economic team and relied on the work of Planalto’s allies to come into force, o Poder360.
WHAT THE INDUSTRY SAYS
The Lula government’s decision provoked an immediate reaction from industry and retail entities and international trade platforms.
In a note ( – PDF – 77 kB), the CNI (National Confederation of Industry) that the measure represents “an advantage granted to foreign industries to the detriment of the national productive sector”. According to the entity, the impact will be greater on micro and small businesses and could lead to job losses.
The (Brazilian Association of the Textile and Clothing Industry) classified the revocation of the charge as “extremely wrong”. According to the entity, the measure increases tax inequality between Brazilian companies and international platforms.
“It is unacceptable for Brazilian companies to bear a high tax burden, very high real interest rates and regulatory costs while foreign competitors receive even greater advantages to access the national market”stated Abit.
The association argued that the decision could affect public revenue. Data from the Federal Revenue indicate that, from January to April 2026, the tax raised R$1.78 billion, an increase of 25% compared to the same period last year.
Abvtex (Brazilian Textile Retail Association) “vehemently repudiate” the end of taxation. For the entity, the measure represents “a serious economic setback and a direct attack on industry, national retail and the 18 million jobs created in Brazil” and can “penalize Brazilian companies, especially micro and small ones, that produce, employ and sustain the country’s revenue”.
The entity defended the creation of compensatory measures to avoid closing companies and losing jobs. Here is the note (PDF – 106 kB).
The Mixed Parliamentary Front in Defense of Intellectual Property and Combating Piracy also criticized the decision.
“There is no competitiveness when Brazilian businessmen pay high taxes and the imported product enters without taxation. This harms jobs, national production and formal commerce”declared the president of the front, deputy (PP-RJ).
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