Handling of Packages and Transportation of Products to Brazil

Before any product leaves its country of origin, it must be packed and addressed according to the specific requirements of import to Brazil, so as to ensure compliance with the standards required for entry to Brazilian territory.

Brazil’s Service for International Agricultural Surveillance (VIGIAGRO) enables MAPA to monitor and check the inflow of products that may pose risks or contain organisms that may pose some risk to Brazil’s agriculture, biodiversity or consumers. This checking is performed at ports, airports, border control points and other locations that are authorized and eligible to handle the inflow of imported products and international passenger transit. 

To prevent delays and additional costs, make sure that:

• your supplier/transportation company has prepared the products and packages properly,
• cargo units or containers have been cleaned in advance,
• it has wood packaging or dunnage treated according to the International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPMs) 15.

In the event of identification of a problem after the product has been already shipped, first inform VIGIAGRO at the unit located at the point of entry of the product.

The importer should provide VIGIAGRO with information and documents about the imported product. This can be done through SIGSIV and VICOMEX. Click here to see more about these systems.

Some animal or plant products coming from certain origins may only enter Brazil at specific points of entry. Therefore, when planning the importation of consignments, make sure that the airport or the port of arrival is approved to receive that consignment. This information can be found on the lists of requirements for importation of products to Brazil.

IMPORTANT TIPS

1)      Use clean containers and other types of cargo units:

• Make sure your container is free of contamination or debris, inside and outside, including soil, left-over grains, slugs and snails, fungi, insects, plants, and the remnants of plants and animals. 
• Containers or cargo units presenting contamination or some type of material or organism that is subject to quarantine in Brazil will be subject to quarantine actions, including the return of the consignment overseas.

2)      Declare the type of packaging:

• Provide a detailed description of the products and types of packaging;
• State whether any type of wooden packaging or dunnage has been used and the kind of treatment it has undergone, or the IPPC brand;
• Failure to submit this information will result in a higher inspection and sampling frequency of the consignments.

3)      Wooden Packaging and Dunnage:

• Pay attention to MAPA’s rules regarding the importation of any type of product that may come with or be stored in wooden packaging or dunnage. If the products are stored in wooden packaging without a treatment stamp or carrying quarantinable organisms or other materials banned by Brazil, such products will be returned to their country of origin. For more information, refer to MAPA Normative Instruction 32/2015.
• Wooden packaging and dunnage from overseas must be treated according to ISPM 15.
• Wooden packaging and dunnage from countries that have not internalized ISPM 15 must be accompanied by a Phytosanitary Certificate or Certificate of Treatment guaranteed by the NPPO (National Plant Protection Organization) of the country of origin, citing one of the phytosanitary treatments recognized by ISPM 15.
• Whenever possible, use dunnage and packaging materials completely manufactured in processed wood or using plastic, cardboard, synthetic foams, metal or similar materials.
• Visit the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) web page for the list of countries that have internalized ISPM 15.