Effective May 23, 2019, the Postal Service™ is revising the International Country Listing for Brazil in Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, International Mail Manual (IMM®) to clarify the requirements for customs declaration forms and import documentation used for customs clearance. The revisions note that Empresa Brasileira de Correios e Telégrafos (ECT) will immediately return to the sender each item sent without a properly completed customs declaration.
These revisions are based on a formal request made through the Universal Postal Union via International Bureau Circular 100, dated August 6, 2018.
Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, International Mail Manual (IMM)
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Individual Country Listings
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Brazil
Country Conditions for Mailing
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Observations
[Revise the Observation section to read as follows (keeping item 1 the same, consolidating the text in current items 2 and 4 into a new item 2, adding a new item 3, renumbering the current item 3 to new item 4, adding a new item 5, and renumbering current items 5 and 6 to items 6 and 7):]
1. Empresa Brasileira de Correios e Telégrafos (ECT) is introducing a “Fee for Postal Dispatch” with a current value of 15 Brazilian reals (BRL) for items presented to customs. If the addressee has not properly paid this fee, ECT will return the item to the sender.
2. Import licenses are required for many kinds of goods. ECT recommends that the sender ascertain from the addressee before mailing that the addressee holds the necessary documents. A shipment that does not have a required import permit is subject to confiscation as contraband.
3. The mailer must affix all necessary or relevant documents including invoices, export/import licenses, certificates of origin, health certificates, etc., to the outside of the item.
4. Imports are allowed by mail, including mail order catalog shipments, up to a value of U.S. $500 (U.S. $1,000 for computer software) without the requirement of an import license provided the item is not for resale. Shipments valued at no more than U.S. $50 are duty-free and are delivered to the addressee; shipments above U.S. $50 can be picked up at the post office upon payment of import duties. Imports that are prohibited or subject to special regulations must comply with applicable Brazilian government provisions. Identical shipments from the same source to the same person or address in Brazil within a 90-day period are considered part of the same shipment and may be subject to confiscation. Other merchandise that usually enters duty-free include items such as newspapers, maps, books, and magazines.
5. The mailer must fully and accurately complete the customs declarations, including the landline or mobile telephone number of the addressee, if available, and detailed information concerning the contents and value of the item, such as branded product description, model, serial number, and value of each individual article within the item. ECT immediately returns to the sender an item that does not have a properly completed customs declaration.
6. Shipments that do not indicate the applicable postage and fees on PS Form 2976-A will hinder the customs clearance process, causing delays to clear the items.
7. Used consumer goods may only be sent to charitable organizations that are recognized by the Brazilian government as being entities which serve the public interest.
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Although effective on May 23, 2019, the Postal Service will incorporate these revisions into the next edition of the online IMM, which is available via Postal Explorer® at pe.usps.com.
— Product Classification, Marketing, 5-23-19
