Import taxes waived on a further 61 medical products in fight against coronavirus

This Wednesday (25/03), Brazil’s Foreign Trade Chamber (Camex) waived import tariffs on 61 more pharmaceutical and hospital products used in the fight against Covid-19. Products that taxes have been exempted from include include kits for coronavirus testing, medical equipment and devices, and drugs such as chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine, azithromycin and immunoglobulin. Also listed are items such as ethyl alcohol, pure sodium chloride, medicinal oxygen and carbon dioxide, gauze, hydrogen peroxide, paper sheets, protective gloves, sterilizers and needles, oxygenation and intubation equipment, artificial respiration devices, thermometers, instruments and devices for diagnosis. The details of this measure are in Resolution No. 22, published this Thursday (3/26) in the Federal Official Gazette.

The new list was prepared by the Health and Economy Ministries, together with the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa). The list covers 51 items in the Common Mercosur Nomenclature (NCM), which includes 61 products that had import tariffs ranging up to 35% –  the highest tariff level applied by Brazil on industrial goods. The rates will remain at zero until September 30, 2020.

Anti-dumping

During a virtual meeting of the Executive Management Committee of Camex (Gecex), it also decided to temporarily suspend anti-dumping duties on Brazilian imports of disposable syringes and plastic tubes for blood collection.  Anti-dumping duties were in place before on imports of disposable syringes originating in China, and plastic tubes for vacuum collection of blood, originating in Germany, China, the United States and the United Kingdom. Antidumping duties are additional to the import tax, which can be charged when a company exports to Brazil at a price lower than that practiced in its home market. The measures came into force after publication in the Federal Official Gazette, this Thursday (26/03).

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