Brazil is one of the few countries lacking a law about the entrance of foreign products

The Chamber approved on Wednesday, November 5, the Bill 717/03, proposed by the Deputy Antonio Carlos Mendes Thame (PSDB-SP). According to it, imported products have to comply with the same certification rules enforced to domestic wares. Thus, the import of supply of any article differing from the federal technical regulation is forbidden. The project will still be voted by the Senate.

Mendes Thame noted that Brazil is one of the few countries lacking a specific Legislation about the entrance of imported products. He informed that the text will not impose non-tariff barriers. “The requirements will only regard safety and not quality”, he explained. “This project is important to protect domestic industry from unsafe products that may come here to compete and harm the Brazilian worker”, he concluded.

Inspection
The responsible technical-regulation bodies should inspect the products after the start-up of customs clearance.
If the imported product does not comply with the safety rules required by the inspection, it will be retained by the customs authority for up to 60 days. During this term, the importer should arrange the product adjustment or return it (in the cases where confiscation does not apply)

This penalty will also be enforced if the importer does not make the changes required by the inspection before the established deadline. The importer who presents a fake documentation regarding the documentation about product conformity with the rules may have his register suspended or canceled.

Safety
Mendes Thame offered an explanation to illustrate the importance of this measure; “the Brazilian producer of school erasers has to prove that they do not contain cadmium or mercury, which are cancer-provoking substances that may be ingested by children. A similar one, though, produced in China or India is sold by a much smaller price which is not submitted to these rules”, he stated.

Deputy Vanderlei Macris (PSDB-SP) supported the project because it promotes isonomy among domestic and imported products. For Macris, the project is good, especially because it will ensure consumers´ safety/tranquility.

Report - Eduardo Piovesan and Luis Claudio Pinheiro
Editing - João Pitella Junior/Rejane Xavier