MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Brazil allows unrestricted entry of international donations and used equipment for Rio Grande do Sul

Brazil allows unrestricted entry of international donations and used equipment for Rio Grande do Sul

Given the calamity conditions in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul, because of the floods and prospects of further rainfall, leaving at least two million people displaced, the government of Brazil has allowed the unrestricted entry of international donations into RGdoS for the ensuing 30 days.

The decision was published in an extraordinary edition of the Official Federal Gazette last Friday, is to be implemented by the Ministry of Development, Industry, Commerce and Services and includes the import of consumer goods and pre-owned equipment specifically for the flooded state.

Tatiana Prazeres, Secretary of Foreign Trade, emphasized that the licensing process will meticulously outline the circumstances and legal framework of the ordinance. This, she notes, will enable Secex to oversee imports and ensure that donated goods reach their intended recipients in Rio Grande do Sul. Prazeres clarified that this flexibility is exclusively extended to international donations, with the purchase of used products remaining subject to existing regulations.

“This ordinance grants authorization for the importation of previously prohibited used goods, aiming to eliminate barriers and rally global support for our beloved population in Rio Grande do Sul,” elucidated Geraldo Alckmin, Brazilian Vice-president and Minister of Development, Industry, Commerce, and Services, in announcing the rules.

Alckmin revealed that his ministry had fielded a request from the National Confederation of Industry (CNI) and the Federation of Industries of the State of Rio Grande do Sul (Fiergs) to temporarily lift restrictions on the import of pre-owned goods and equipment. “The Brazilian community in Miami is generously donating used clothing and supplies. Hence, there are no impediments to the arrival of these products,” asserted the Vice-president.

Ahead of the ordinance’s issuance, Prazeres disclosed that Mdic had engaged with various industrial associations, including the Brazilian Association of the Textile and Clothing Industry (Abit), the Brazilian Association of Footwear Industries (Abicalçados), and the Brazilian Association of Industry of Machinery and Equipment (Abimaq). Prazeres affirmed that all entities endorsed the temporary relaxation of regulations.

Agencia Brasil points out that clarifications about the measure can be obtained at gecex.comp@mdic.gov.br or by phone at (61) 2027-7429.