Stalled cargo prompts legal action against protesting auditors in Brazil

The Rio de Janeiro Industrial Center, a business association linked to the Firjan industry federation, has filed a collective writ of mandamus, demanding an immediate return to normalcy in cargo operations at the state’s terminals. The flow of products at Brazilian borders has been affected by the decision of Ibama (Brazilian Environment Regulation Institute) and the Ministry of Agriculture (Mapa) servers to work under a slow-down regime, affecting the issuance of licenses for international goods operations.

The writ of mandamus requests authorities to provide the usual information within the legally determined timeframe, in addition to carrying out import inspections as usual.

It also demands that if the legal deadline is exceeded, the authorities must promptly conduct inspections and analyze the goods within their jurisdiction. This includes inspecting goods at the Port of Rio de Janeiro or issuing import licenses and certifications necessary for the importation of goods under their purview.

The writ of mandamus was filed against the superintendent of Ibama in Rio de Janeiro and the chief inspector of Vigiagro at the Port of Rio (Vigi-Rio), who “due to the protest initiated by their employees (inspectors and agricultural inspectors), have repeatedly failed to comply with their legal prerogatives to provide essential public services.”

Since January, the servers have slowed down the issuance of certifications and licenses, leading to a backlog of goods in Brazilian ports and in other countries from which goods are shipped to Brazil.

“The Port of Rio is saturated,” states Firjan-CIRJ in the writ of mandamus. “Without the import license issued by Ibama, importers risk fines and having their cargo seized.”

The document states that “the latest information indicates that more than 18 thousand vehicles are waiting for authorization to ship to Brazil due to the lack of licensing from Ibama. Companies such as Stellantis, BDY, and BMW have already confirmed losses due to the slow licensing process.”

“The ports are becoming saturated with stalled cargo. This affects companies, consumers, and trading partners. Urgent action is needed because Brazil is being penalized by this strike,” said the president of Firjan, Eduardo Eugenio Gouvêa Vieira, in a statement.

Source: A Tribuna

Click here to read the original news article: https://www.atribuna.com.br/noticias/portomar/cargas-represadas-geram-acao-na-justica

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