With an eye on the 2026 elections, the president now defends revising the tax on purchases of up to US$50 in international e-commerce
Now by the president (PT), the “blouse fee” (also called “shopping fee”) of up to US$50 on international websites was defended by the government’s economic team and relied on the work of Planalto’s allies to come into effect. Now, less than 6 months before the presidential elections, the Executive is considering reviewing the measure.
The economic team proposed ending the exemption on purchases of up to US$50 as a way of increasing federal revenue. The proposal would be forwarded together with a package of measures aimed at public accounts.
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Lula in an interview with Brazil 247has Forum Magazine and to DCM on Tuesday (April 14, 2026) that I thought the rate “unnecessary” from the beginning.
“I thought the tax on blouses was unnecessary. They are very small purchases, people with low purchasing power were the ones who bought them. I know the damage this brought to us”.
The president stated that the taxation was approved by Congress under pressure from the retail sector.
Purchases of up to US$50 made on international websites between individuals were exempt from import tax before the Lula government. The Lulista economic team argued that the charge provided tax equality for Brazilian companies.
The Lula government collected R$5 billion in import taxes in 2025 from international orders, according to data from the Federal Revenue Service. It had been R$2.88 billion in 2024. On the other hand, orders fell to 165.7 million last year. According to the Tax Authority, there were 189.15 million in 2024. The data was published by the portal G1 and confirmed by Poder360.
HISTORY
The former Minister of Finance argued, in April 2023, that the objective of ending the exemption was to combat smuggling carried out by people who used international website platforms to sell products more cheaply in Brazil.
After a negative reaction, Lula asked Haddad not to charge taxes on international e-commerce, which provoked retail and industrial entities in Brazil. In May 2023, the IRS created the program to obtain more data on the origin and recipients of products. The company that wanted to be exempt from federal taxes would have to comply with the rules for providing information. , , aea joined, enabling tax exemption on these sites.
In September of that year, the Minister of Finance, Dario Durigan, while he was executive secretary of the department, that the government was studying a rate of around 20% – a percentage that came into force on August 1, 2024 after a vote in Congress.
Less than 3 weeks ago, the vice president (PSB) who “blouse fee” represents “defense of employment and income of the Brazilian population”.
Watch the video (2min56s):
DISCUSSION IN CONGRESS
Taxation received support from the former presidents of the Chamber, (PP-AL), and the Senate, (PSB-MG). There was an agreement between the parties for the bill to be approved without a veto on the blouse fee, but the rapporteur in the Senate, senator (Podemos-AL), .
The government needed to act to make taxation viable. The leader of the Government in the Senate, senator (PT-BA), said that there was an agreement to reintroduce the topic under discussion in the Senate. He criticized the exemption for purchases of up to US$50 in international e-commerce.
“We don’t want to break national retail. We don’t want to break small traders, small manufacturers. And if it’s the system that’s going to go around, we’ll soon experience ‘general liberalization'”said on June 4, 2024.
Still as Minister of Institutional Relations, the Minister of Health, Alexandre Padilha, said, on June 4, 2024, that the position was to maintain the proposed “isonomy” for Brazilian businesspeople.
He defended that international websites pay the same tax as those operating in Brazil. “The government will work to ensure that the text that was approved in the Chamber is approved in the Senate”these.
The project was definitively approved by Congress on June 11, making Amazon, Shein, AliExpress and Shopee have to adapt to the federal rate of 20% on all purchases below US$50 or 60% for goods above that value. Consumers who make international purchases must also pay 17% ICMS (Tax on Circulation of Goods and Services), charged by the States.
No PT deputy before the text went to presidential sanction. Find out how each congressman voted:
Watch the vote in the Chamber:
During the vote, the senator (PT-SE), deputy leader of the Government in the Senate, said that the average national retail load is 82%. He stated that the direct import of individuals does not create jobs in Brazil.
“There’s no need to be ashamed, there’s no need to see any misrepresentation when it comes to showing absolutely consistent and true data. I know that, for those who buy, it’s an advantage, but we need to understand that this advantage could mean unemployment in your family”these.
OPPOSITION
voted against the bill that taxed shopping. One of them was the pre-candidate for the Presidency of the Republic, senator (PL-RJ), during a speech, he congratulated the project’s rapporteur in the Senate, Rodrigo Cunha, for having taken the “cod” of the text.
“We are already seeing the government’s effort to re-include, via emphasis, this strange part that wants to tax international purchases made on the internet by 20%. […] Obviously, we are all concerned about the national industry, but we are concerned about not burdening the consumer, which is what this bill is doing by simply increasing taxation on a way for products to enter Brazil”said the senator.
The former president of the Senate, Rodrigo Pacheco (PSB-MG) read the names of those who were against the taxation.
Watch the video (1min14s):
