President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) signed the Conversion Bill (PLV) 13/2026 on Thursday (09/10). This step cancels the so-called 'blouse tax.' In effect, it means that international online purchases worth up to $50 USD (which is 255 reais at today's exchange rate) are exempt from the 20% import duty.
The 20% levy was previously suspended in May 2026 through a temporary measure. The presidential approval came a week after the text was approved by the National Congress. This tax was introduced in 2024 primarily to protect domestic industry and retail trade from aggressive foreign competition, especially from China.
However, Lula stated the same day that the arguments made by Brazilian entrepreneurs claiming the tax repeal would harm these sectors were unfounded. The President commented: 'It is such a minor detail that it is not worth saying that it causes losses, causes unemployment, or will cause problems in trade.'
The President also mentioned 'compensation' for the population: 'What benefit does the state gain by taxing those who buy for $50? What we are doing here is compensation, providing for people who do not fly on airplanes, who cannot buy wine, who cannot buy whiskey, who cannot buy a fancy leather blouse, who buy some small item.'
Nevertheless, it is important to emphasize that the exemption from the 'blouse tax' applies only to federal rates. International purchases up to $50 are still subject to ICMS (Tax on Goods and Services Circulation), which is a state tax whose rate varies by state.
It should also be noted that the measure adopted today includes, in addition to the 'blouse tax,' a 60% reduction in federal taxes combined with ICMS to 30% for international purchases up to $3,000 USD (15,337 reais at the current rate).
