CNI says 38% of Brazilians abandoned online foreign purchases after import tax

The latest edition of the Retratos do Brasil survey, commissioned by the National Confederation of Industry (CNI) and conducted by the Nexus agency, shows that 38% of Brazilian consumers gave up shopping on international websites because of the “blusinha tax” — the nickname given to the import duty on purchases of up to US$50.

The study, conducted in October 2025, shows that the tax has led some members of the public to reconsider foreign purchases and seek domestic alternatives.

“The implementation of the import duty is the beginning of a process that aims to bring more fairness and competitiveness to the domestic industry,” said CNI’s superintendent of economics, Marcio Guerra. “Even so, the tax is still far below what is needed to level the playing field with other countries.”

Consumers turn to national alternatives
Among Brazilians who abandoned purchases due to the tax, the share who gave up definitively fell from 58% to 42% between 2024 and 2025.

Meanwhile, the share who searched for a similar product with domestic delivery rose from 22% to 32%, and those who chose another international website grew from 6% to 11%.

The groups most affected by the tax include:

• People with a college degree (51%)
• Young adults aged 16 to 40 (46%)
• Those earning more than five minimum wages (45%)
• Residents of the Northeast (42%)

ICMS also discourages buyers
The state-level ICMS tax is also a deterrent: 36% of consumers said they abandoned purchases because of it.

Among this group, the number who sought national alternatives rose from 26% to 34%, while definitive withdrawals fell from 51% to 41%.

The impact is greatest among people with higher education (48%), high income (41%), and younger consumers (45%).

Shipping and delivery are still major obstacles
International shipping costs remain one of the main barriers: 45% of consumers abandoned a purchase after seeing the freight cost, a 5-point increase from 2024.

Delivery time also discouraged 34% of buyers. The rate is even higher among people with a college degree (43%) and those earning more than five minimum wages (39%).

“The ‘blusinha tax’ made Brazilian consumers reflect more deeply, and now they weigh the total costs of an international purchase,” Guerra added.

Personal use dominates imports
The survey shows that 75% of consumers buy international products for personal use, not resale. The rate rises to:

• 90% among people over 60
• 84% among residents of the North and Center-West
• 82% among those earning 1 to 2 minimum wages
• 81% among women and people with an elementary school education

Only 2% of respondents said they bought goods for resale.

About the survey
The Retratos do Brasil survey was conducted by Nexus at CNI’s request, interviewing 2,008 people aged 16 or older across all 27 Brazilian states between October 10 and 15, 2025.
The margin of error is 2 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.
Technical lead: Neale El-Dash (Conre 8656-A).

Source: Gazeta do Povo

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