In the context of electoral articulations, . Government members are studying reducing the charge to contain electoral wear, while, according to Sheet. The Treasury resists the reduction given the impact on revenue: in January 2026, the collection totaled R$425.3 million, according to CNN Brasil.
The opposition, in turn, presented an urgent request to speed up the processing of the proposal attached to PL 3,261/2025, which reestablishes the Import Tax exemption for international purchases of up to US$50 (around R$247.53 at the current exchange rate). The move reveals more of a dispute over who gets the credit for alleviating or preserving an unpopular charge than an effective concern for Brazilian consumers.
The so-called blouse tax was a rule approved in 2024, which began charging 20% Import Tax on international purchases of up to US$50 made in which they joined the , in addition to ICMS.
The government justified the measure as a tool to balance competition between national retailers and foreign platforms, as Brazilian companies face high taxation, expensive logistics and bureaucracy.
However, this diagnosis of the Brazilian business environment should not authorize large national companies to throw the bill onto the consumer: if Brazil is suffering from the cost, the answer should be to reduce the costs of producing, selling and contracting in the country, not making the product that arrives from abroad more expensive.
From then on, the tax became a political problem because it took the cost of protectionism to the virtual shopping cart. Previously, this cost appeared indirectly: the consumer paid more in the domestic market or had less variety over time, without necessarily associating this with the protection granted to specific sectors.
With Remessa Conformo, the charge started to appear before finalizing the purchase, which makes it easier to see who is financing the protection. This is the result of the work of organized sectors asking for protection in the name of , employment or fair competition, while consumers face higher prices and fewer options.
Since the loss is spread among millions of buyers, mobilization is more difficult; the gain, by concentrating on a few sectors, allows these groups to organize themselves politically.
It is also important to highlight that the nickname tax on blouses sometimes reduces the debate to a frivolous image, although digital commerce has allowed consumers from classes C, D and E to access cheaper or better quality products. , according to the LCA study with data from the CDE Plan. Although industrial entities claim that the charge preserved jobs and prevented imports, this study found no statistically significant effect on employment in protected sectors, while monthly imports via Conform Remittance fell 43% shortly after the change.
Therefore, if producing in Brazil is too expensive, the companies’ agenda should be to improve the business environment, with tax simplification, less bureaucracy and cheaper imports of inputs, machines and components. After all, trade openness is also a productivity agenda and not only important for end consumers.
Dropping the rate would be correct, but that does not mean that Brasília has bought into the trade opening fight. It is likely that many have realized that defending it is bad for the campaign. It remains to be seen whether the country will continue to be comfortable with high tariffs and special regimes, or whether it will begin to ask whether this protection increases productivity or merely preserves privileges.
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