Do I need a company to import into Brazil, and where is the official list of customs brokers? in detail

Dear friend,

Welcome! This letter sets out what you need to know, plainly and in order.

Setting up a company

Foreigners can also form a company in Brazil. The MDIC investor handbook (dated 2018) says: "a lei faculta que as sociedades estrangeiras participem do quadro societário de sociedades brasileiras independentemente de permissão" (the law allows foreign companies to be partners in Brazilian companies without a permit). Only a foreign company opening a branch needs federal authorisation.

The source found no official rule that a director must live in Brazil. The handbook also asks for foreign documents to be legalised (consular or Hague apostille) and officially translated.

Before you can import

A CNPJ does not let you import by itself. The gov.br service page says: "para que uma empresa possa realizar operações de comércio exterior, ela precisa estar habilitada no sistema e cadastrar seus representantes" (to do foreign trade, a company must be enabled in the system and register its representatives).

• You apply through the HABILITAR EMPRESA path in Siscomex. This enablement is commonly called RADAR.
• You choose a mode: Expressa, Limitada or Ilimitada.
• The representative's CPF must be in good standing, with an active record in the customs register of foreign-trade parties: "O representante deve estar com o Cadastro de Pessoa Física (CPF) em situação regular e registro ativo no Cadastro Aduaneiro Informatizado de Intervenientes do Comércio Exterior."

Official page: gov.br, credenciar pessoa jurídica no Siscomex.

Official register of customs brokers

In Brazil the despachante aduaneiro is an individual professional, not a company. The page says: "O despachante aduaneiro é o profissional habilitado pela Receita Federal para representar importadores e exportadores perante a Aduana."

The rule that creates the public list is Article 9, paragraph 3 of Instrução Normativa RFB 1.273/2012: "A RFB disponibilizará para consulta no seu sítio, na Internet [...] a lista dos despachantes aduaneiros e dos ajudantes de despachante aduaneiro" (the Receita will publish the list on its website).

Fields you can expect:

• Name: yes.
• Registration number: yes. It is the person's CPF number (Article 9, paragraph 2).
• Case number (PROCESSO): shown in the Receita registration notices the source looked at.
• Phone, email, address: not shown.

Links: registration service page and IN RFB 1.273/2012. The source did not find a separate search page for the list.

What to do yourself

1. Decide the company form with the state Junta Comercial, and get a CPF for any foreign individual partner first.
2. After the CNPJ, apply for Siscomex enablement (RADAR) and pick a mode.
3. Make sure the representative's CPF is in good standing and registered as a customs party.
4. If you use a broker, look up the name and CPF number on the Receita list.

When to use a licensed professional

A despachante can represent importers before customs. To become one, a person must be Brazilian, of full age ("Maioridade civil e nacionalidade brasileira"), and must first work two years as an assistant and pass a technical exam. Foreign documents and powers of attorney in the company steps above are often filed through a local agent. For anything beyond these basic steps, ask a licensed professional.

Still uncertain

• We did not find a separate search URL for the Receita list of despachantes. The rule says it is published on the Receita website.
• We did not re-open the national REDESIM portal. The company steps come from the MDIC handbook (2018) and one state registry page (no date).
• The JUCESC page is from one state (Santa Catarina). Other states may differ.
• Several official pages carry no date.
• This page is general information from official sources, not legal or tax advice.

Sources for this letter

1. MDIC handbook
2. JUCESC
3. gov.br, credenciar pessoa jurídica no Siscomex
4. registration service page
5. IN RFB 1.273/2012