You ship to Brazil by ocean FCL or LCL into Santos, Paranaguá or Itajaí, or by air into São Paulo (GRU or VCP), with 14 to 25 days of ocean transit from Miami, a DUIMP filed in Siscomex by a RADAR-enabled importer, and Mercosur duty plus IPI, PIS/COFINS and ICMS. Brazil is the largest market in South America and the most complex to import into, for two reasons. First, the importer must be enabled in Siscomex through the RADAR registration before it can import at all, and its RADAR modality caps how much it can bring in. Second, the tax load is heavy and cascading: import duty under the Mercosur Common External Tariff, IPI, PIS and COFINS, the state ICMS and, on ocean cargo, the AFRMM surcharge on freight, each calculated on a base that can include the others. A shipment that is cheap to move can still be expensive to land. Two changes matter in 2026: the DUIMP is replacing the old import declaration, and the EU-Mercosur interim trade agreement now cuts duties on many European goods.
Ocean freight from Miami to Santos takes 14 to 25 days, air freight to São Paulo 1 to 3 days, and ocean freight from China 35 to 45 days.
| Route & mode | Transit | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Miami to Santos, ocean FCL | 14 to 25 days | full loads, machinery, industrial inputs |
| Miami to Brazil, ocean LCL | 18 to 30 days (port to port) | shipments under 15 CBM |
| Miami to Paranaguá or Itajaí, ocean FCL | 15 to 28 days | agribusiness and southern states |
| Miami (MIA) to São Paulo (GRU or VCP), air | 1 to 3 days | urgent parts, electronics, pharma |
| China to Santos, ocean FCL | 35 to 45 days | full containers from Asia |
| North Europe or Spain to Santos, ocean FCL | 18 to 30 days | EU machinery and chemicals |
The low end of each range applies to direct sailings and the high end to transshipped rotations; confirm the sailing with your forwarder before you commit a delivery date. In Brazil the paperwork sequence matters more than the sailing, so it comes next.
Shipping to Brazil follows eight steps, and the first three happen before any cargo moves.
Step 4 is where Miami consolidation saves fixed per-declaration costs, starting with the US lane.
US cargo ships to Brazil best through Miami, which connects to Santos and the southern ports on regular ocean services and to São Paulo on daily air capacity. Interworld Freight consolidates purchases from several US suppliers at its Miami hub: one container means one import declaration, one set of licenses and one tax calculation, which matters more in Brazil than in most markets because each declaration carries fixed costs.
For full loads, container shipping from the USA to Brazil on 20ft and 40ft equipment is the efficient option above 15 CBM, and FCL ocean freight keeps cargo sealed from origin to the Brazilian terminal. Smaller volumes move as LCL; see what drives LCL shipping costs for how destination charges add up. Time-critical spares and high-value goods move by air freight to Brazil into Guarulhos (GRU) or Viracopos (VCP).
Brazil has no free trade agreement with the United States, so US goods pay the Mercosur tariff for their NCM code. Before the first shipment, confirm that the consignee holds an active RADAR with enough capacity, that its CNPJ (company tax ID) appears on the bill of lading, and that any import license (LPCO) the product needs is approved; goods shipped before a required license is granted can face penalties. Agree the Incoterm early: on FOB or FCA terms the Brazilian buyer controls the ocean leg, which also sets the freight value on which AFRMM is charged. Asian cargo pays the same full tariff, on a much longer and deeper lane.
Shipping from China to Brazil takes 35 to 45 days for a full container on direct Asia to east coast South America services to Santos, Paranaguá, Itajaí, Navegantes, Itapoá and Rio Grande. China is Brazil's largest trading partner, so capacity is deep. LCL takes longer because of consolidation at origin and deconsolidation in Brazil. With no Mercosur trade agreement with China, Chinese goods pay the full CET rate unless they qualify for a reduction such as an ex-tarifário for capital goods, the same baseline that applies when shipping to Argentina. European cargo is the exception to that rule since 2026.
Shipping from Europe to Brazil now carries a tariff advantage: the EU-Mercosur interim trade agreement, signed on January 17, 2026, has applied since May 1, 2026, and EU-origin goods can claim phased duty reductions on the Brazilian side. To claim the preference, the importer files the DUIMP with the agreement code and backs it with proof of origin, either a statement on origin written by the EU exporter on the invoice or a certificate of origin, according to the Siscomex guidance on the agreement's entry into force. Reductions follow a schedule per product, so many lines still pay part of the CET for years; check the NCM before quoting a landed cost.
The lane itself is short and frequent: North Europe and Mediterranean ports reach Santos in 18 to 30 days. Machinery, chemicals, pharmaceuticals and vehicle parts dominate, and they land at a port network that spans the whole coastline.
Santos handles the largest share of Brazil's container imports, with the southern ports and the northern grain corridor covering the rest, and Guarulhos (GRU) and Viracopos (VCP) handling air cargo.
Imports into Brazil clear through the Receita Federal do Brasil (RFB) on Siscomex and the Portal Único de Comércio Exterior, with a licensed customs broker (despachante aduaneiro) filing on behalf of most importers. The DUIMP (Declaração Única de Importação) is replacing the legacy import declaration (DI), with licenses, permits and certificates (LPCO) handled in the same environment; the Siscomex DI decommissioning schedule switches off the DI in stages by mode and operation type, with the last groups of operations scheduled for December 2026.
Brazilian Customs regularly holds or penalizes shipments with inaccurate or incomplete documents, so the invoice, packing list and bill of lading must match exactly. Once the declaration clears, the tax stack decides the landed cost.
Imports into Brazil pay the Mercosur import duty plus four federal and state taxes that cascade on each other, and ocean cargo adds AFRMM on the freight.
The NCM nomenclature and the CET baseline are shared across Mercosur, so the classification work you do for Brazil carries over to shipping to Paraguay and shipping to Uruguay, with each member keeping its own exception lists. The taxes cascade, so the total landed tax on a product with a moderate duty rate can be a large multiple of the duty alone. For new capital goods and IT equipment without an equivalent made in Brazil, the ex-tarifário regime can reduce the import duty; the procedure takes four to six months.
Brazil's consumption tax reform replaces PIS, COFINS, IPI, ICMS and ISS with CBS (federal) and IBS (state and municipal) between 2026 and 2033, and both new taxes also apply to imports. The transition set in Constitutional Amendment 132/2023 and regulated by Complementary Law 214/2025 runs as follows:
Siscomex has already adapted the DUIMP to carry CBS and IBS data, so confirm the current treatment with your broker at the time of import.
Shipping to Brazil requires a commercial invoice, packing list and bill of lading that match exactly, the importer's RADAR enablement, LPCO licenses for controlled products, and proof of origin where a preference applies.
Brazil restricts imports of used goods more than most markets. Used material and equipment subject to the similarity examination need an import license, and the license depends on verifying that there is no equivalent national production; SECEX runs public consultations on these requests. Projects transferring whole used production lines follow a dedicated procedure. Plan used machinery imports months ahead and confirm eligibility before purchase.
MAPA controls plant and animal products, fertilizers, seeds and agrochemicals and inspects wood packaging; Brazil enforces ISPM 15 wood packaging requirements at arrival. ANVISA controls medicines, medical devices, cosmetics and food, and INMETRO certification applies to many electrical and consumer products. Hazmat moves under IMDG or IATA DGR with full declarations.
For Brazil, choose air below 2 CBM or when the cargo is urgent, LCL between 2 and 15 CBM, and FCL above 15 CBM.
Brazil imports machinery and equipment, chemicals and fertilizers, fuels, electronics, vehicle parts and pharmaceuticals, with São Paulo as the main industrial destination and Santos as the main gateway. The southern states combine manufacturing with agribusiness, served by Paranaguá, Itajaí, Navegantes, Itapoá and Rio Grande.
Agribusiness is the sector that pulls freight deep into the interior. Brazil is one of the world's largest exporters of soybeans, coffee, sugar and beef, and production in Mato Grosso, Goiás, Paraná and the other farm states depends on tractors, combines, planters, sprayers, irrigation systems, fertilizers and a constant flow of replacement parts, many of them imported or with imported components. Grain increasingly leaves through the Arco Norte ports, while inputs still arrive mostly through Santos and Paranaguá. Our follow-up guide covers how to ship farm machinery and parts to Brazil, from licensing and ex-tarifário to port choice.
In Brazil, the forwarder matters as much for the paperwork as for the freight. The right partner checks RADAR capacity and licenses before cargo sails, consolidates US suppliers into one declaration, prepares invoices and packing lists that match Brazilian requirements, and picks the port closest to the final destination. Interworld Freight was founded in Miami in 1992 and runs ocean FCL and LCL, air freight and customs coordination from its Miami hub with warehousing, with coverage on every major trade lane. Explore container shipping to Brazil for current options. Quote requests are answered within one business day.
Ocean freight from Miami to Santos takes 14 to 25 days port to port for FCL, and 18 to 30 days for LCL. Air freight from Miami to São Paulo arrives in 1 to 3 days.
Brazil is difficult because of paperwork and taxes, not freight. The importer needs RADAR enablement, many products need an LPCO license before shipment, documents must match exactly, and cascading taxes can multiply the landed cost. Checking these points before the cargo sails avoids most delays.
LCL consolidated in Miami is the cheapest option for small and mid-size shipments, ideally combining several suppliers into one declaration. Above 15 CBM a full container costs less per unit. Compare the full landed cost, since Brazilian destination charges and taxes can exceed the freight.
RADAR is the Receita Federal enablement that allows a company to operate in Siscomex. Every importer needs it, and its modality limits import capacity: the limited modality caps imports at US$50,000 or US$150,000 per six-month period.
Brazil charges import duty under the Mercosur CET, IPI, PIS-Importação (2.1%) and COFINS-Importação (9.65%), state ICMS and, for ocean cargo, AFRMM at 8% of the freight. From 2027, CBS replaces PIS and COFINS, and IBS gradually replaces ICMS through 2033.
DUIMP is Brazil's single import declaration on the Portal Único, replacing the legacy DI with one digital workflow that also handles licenses and certificates. The DI is being switched off in stages through December 2026.
Used goods, controlled products and anything without the required license are the main problems. Used equipment needs an import license tied to the similarity examination, and food, medicines, cosmetics, agrochemicals, seeds and many electrical products need approval from MAPA, ANVISA or INMETRO. Confirm the NCM and its licensing before shipping.
Yes. Since May 1, 2026, the EU-Mercosur interim trade agreement lets EU-origin goods claim phased duty reductions when the DUIMP cites the agreement and the shipment carries valid proof of origin. Many products still pay part of the duty during the phase-out.
Photo: Container terminal, Port of Salvador, Brazil. Samory Pereira Santos, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.