Before being revoked, the 'blouse tax' generated more than R$2 billion to the government in 2026

Federal import tax on parcels was revoked in mid-May
Jornal Nacional
The government collected R$ 2.13 billion in import tax from January to mid-May on international parcels, according to the Federal Revenue Secretariat.
The amount entered the public coffers throughout this year, before the so-called "blouse tax" was revoked in the midst of the electoral race.
In comparison with the first five months of last year, with more days (as it considers the whole of May 2025), there was an increase of 15.4%. During that period, R$ 1.84 billion were collected from the tax.
➡Despite the end of the federal government's import tax collection, states continue to tax small-value imports through the Tax on Circulation of Goods and Services (ICMS), with a rate that varies from 17% to 20%.
➡Controversial, the "blouse tax" was disapproved of by Brazilian consumers, mainly due to make popular low-value products more expensive and reduce the attractiveness of international platforms. Critics argued that international tourists have an advantage by not paying the tax.
Experts interviewed by g1 stated that the end of the tax had an immediate impact on prices. In practice, the measure directly affects international purchases made on platforms such as Shein, Shopee and AliExpress.
Government ends the 'blouse tax': what now?
How was the blouse tax?
➡In August 2024, after approval by the National Congress, the government started charging 20% import tax on international purchases of up to US$50, which until then were exempt for companies within the Remessa program According.
The taxation was a response from the government and Congress to a request from segments of the national industry, after the increase in digital purchases during the pandemic, and given the difference in tax burden between national products and those imported on online platforms.
➡At the time, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva sanctioned the text approved by the Legislature, despite having classified the decision as "irrational". The measure was defended by Brazilian industry.
Executive Secretary of Finance, Dario Durigan.
Diogo Zacarias/Ministry of Finance
Productive sector defended the tax
➡ The maintenance of the "blouse tax" was defended by the vice-president of the Republic, and then Minister of Development, Geraldo Alckmin, to defend the national industry of low-value products.
In a manifesto, representatives of the productive sectors, commerce and retailers also defended its permanence. They said that the measure not only generated jobs, but also benefits for the consumer.
"The consumer also benefited from the reduction in the tax disparity between international e-commerce platforms and the national productive sector. In the textile, clothing and footwear sector, for example, inflation is the lowest among the IPCA items since July 1994, the beginning of the Real Plan", says the manifesto.

Source: G1