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Americas

Shipping from China to Brazil

China → Brazil · clearance by Receita Federal do Brasil

Freight forwarding from China to Brazil, Brazil — container and air cargo handling
Cargo handling on the China–Brazil lane.

For buyers shipping into Brazil, the practical question is not the ocean or flight time but what happens after arrival. Brazil is served through Santos, Paranaguá, Itajaí; cargo enters through NVT air / Itapoa sea, and the inland leg is same-day, so the clearance date is effectively the delivery date.

The clearing authority is Receita Federal do Brasil. Historical dwell on this gateway is around 7–15 days, and it lengthens in Sep–Nov.

What the routing looks like in practice

Brazil is the most complex tax jurisdiction in the Americas. Federal duty is only the starting point — IPI, PIS/COFINS and state-level ICMS compound on top, and ICMS differs by state, so the same goods cost different amounts landed in São Paulo and Manaus. The Manaus Free Trade Zone is a genuine alternative structure for electronics assembly inputs.

Air gateways usedGRU (São Paulo), VCP (Campinas), GIG (Rio de Janeiro)
Air transit, China to gateway4–7 business days
Sea gateways usedSantos, Paranaguá, Itajaí
Sea transit, China to gateway30–40 calendar days
Gateway serving BrazilNVT air / Itapoa sea
Inland leg to BrazilSame day from the gateway
Typical clearance / dwell7–15 days
Peak season to plan aroundSep–Nov

Delivery cities in Brazil

Principal delivery points: São Paulo, Campinas, Rio de Janeiro, Curitiba, Belo Horizonte, Porto Alegre, Manaus. Pick a city for the gateway it uses and the inland leg beyond clearance.

Itapoa A modern Santa Catarina terminal with short dwell NVT air / Itapoa sea · inland same day Suape The north-eastern industrial port near Recife REC air / Suape sea · inland +1 day Paranagua The southern grain and container port serving Parana CWB air / Paranagua sea · inland same day Navegantes Santa Catarina port used heavily for consumer-goods imports NVT air / Navegantes sea · inland same day Sao Paulo The largest market in South America GRU air / Santos sea · inland +1 day Campinas Technology corridor and air cargo hub VCP air / Santos sea · inland +1 day Rio de Janeiro Second largest market and energy sector base GIG air / Rio de Janeiro sea · inland +1 day Curitiba Southern industrial and automotive center CWB air / Paranagua sea · inland +1 day Belo Horizonte Mining and manufacturing region capital CNF air / Santos sea · inland +2 days Porto Alegre Southern commercial hub POA air / Rio Grande sea · inland +2 days Manaus Free Trade Zone and electronics assembly center MAO air / Manaus sea · inland +4 days Santos The largest port in Latin America GRU air / Santos sea · inland same day Salvador North-eastern regional capital SSA air / Salvador sea · inland +3 days Recife North-eastern industrial and port city REC air / Suape sea · inland +3 days
Container yard operations used on the China to Brazil (Brazil) freight lane
Consolidation and handling before departure for Brazil.

Import duty and tax position for Brazil

Receita Federal do Brasil assesses duty and tax on cargo arriving for Brazil consignees. Current regime: Import duty 10–35% plus IPI, PIS/COFINS and state ICMS — the compounded effective rate frequently exceeds 60%, with a de-minimis position of USD 50 for consignments between individuals only.

Conformity is the part most first-time importers underestimate: ANATEL homologation for telecom and radio devices; INMETRO certification for a wide range of consumer goods. Getting this wrong is expensive because it usually cannot be fixed after the cargo has landed.

Restrictions and known friction points for Brazil: ANATEL homologation is mandatory for anything that transmits, and takes months to obtain — start before production. INMETRO certification covers many consumer categories. Import licensing applies to a substantial list of goods and must be granted before shipment.

Air, sea or overland into Brazil?

ModeTransit to gatewayBest suited to
✈️ Air Freight4–7 business daystime-critical, high-value and low-volume cargo
🚢 Sea Freight30–40 calendar daysvolume cargo where cost per kilo matters more than speed

Transit shown is China departure to the Brazil gateway and excludes the same-day inland leg to Brazil and 7–15 days of clearance.

Pre-shipment checklist for Brazil

  • Check the de-minimis position (USD 50 for consignments between individuals only) against your invoice value before you decide how to split the shipment.
  • Ask for the HS code in writing from your supplier and verify the Brazil duty rate against it yourself.
  • Confirm the consignee in Brazil can act as importer of record — Receita Federal do Brasil will not release cargo to an unregistered party.
  • Use ISPM-15 treated pallets. Untreated wood is the most common reason otherwise-clean cargo gets held.
  • Compare gross weight against volumetric weight (L×W×H ÷ 6000) — the higher figure is what gets billed on air and express.
  • Budget for the inland leg: same-day delivery beyond gateway clearance to reach Brazil.

Frequently asked questions

How long does shipping from China to Brazil take?

China to the Brazil gateway is 4–7 business days by air, 30–40 calendar days by sea. On top of that, allow 7–15 days of clearance with Receita Federal do Brasil and a same-day inland leg to Brazil.

What duty and tax will I pay importing into Brazil?

Receita Federal do Brasil applies: Import duty 10–35% plus IPI, PIS/COFINS and state ICMS — the compounded effective rate frequently exceeds 60%. The de-minimis position is USD 50 for consignments between individuals only. Under a DDP arrangement these are pre-paid, so nothing is collected on arrival in Brazil.

Can you deliver door-to-door in Brazil?

Yes. Delivery to a Brazil address is quoted as one figure covering freight, duty and tax owed to Receita Federal do Brasil, and the same-day inland leg. Confirm whether your consignee wants the goods at a warehouse, a marketplace fulfillment center or a shop front, because the last-mile requirement differs.

Which port or airport does cargo for Brazil clear through?

Cargo for Brazil is routed via NVT air / Itapoa sea. Sea gateways for Brazil are Santos, Paranaguá, Itajaí; air gateways are GRU (São Paulo), VCP (Campinas), GIG (Rio de Janeiro). We pick whichever gives the shortest total door time for your address.

Can you ship batteries or sensitive cargo to Brazil?

Yes. Battery cargo by air follows IATA PI 965–970 depending on how the cells are packed, and moves on certified channels via GRU (São Paulo), VCP (Campinas), GIG (Rio de Janeiro). Surcharges apply and the declaration has to be made before booking.

How is the chargeable weight calculated for Brazil?

We compare actual gross weight against volumetric weight — length × width × height in centimeters divided by 6000 for air — and bill the greater of the two, rounded up to the next kilogram. Light, bulky cargo is almost always billed on volume.

References & official sources

Duty rates, thresholds and conformity requirements for Brazil change by ministerial decision, sometimes mid-year. The figures on this page are buyer-planning references, not a customs ruling — confirm the current position for your own HS code with Receita Federal do Brasil or your broker before you ship.

Page data last reviewed: 10 月 2026.

Shipping by industry

This page covers the route and clearance picture for the destination. Packing, classification and the compliance step that actually holds a shipment depend on what you are sending — these guides cover that by commodity.

All 60 industry guides →

Checking the Brazil duty position yourself

We publish these figures so you can budget, but the assessment that binds is the one Receita Federal do Brasil makes on your declaration. Where a shipment is large enough that a percentage point matters, check their current tariff guidance rather than ours.

Classification drives everything downstream: the same carton can attract very different duty depending on the heading it lands in, and the structure those headings come from is the World Customs Organization Harmonized System. If your product sits near a boundary between two headings, resolve it before shipping rather than at the border.

For ocean cargo, restricted commodities move under the IMO's IMDG Code, and the container has to be declared and stowed accordingly. Batteries, flammables and corrosives all have a compliant ocean path; what causes rolled bookings is finding out about them after the container is packed.

If this is your first shipment into Brazil, the Brazil Country Commercial Guide covers the practical import environment in more depth than a rate page reasonably can, and it is written by a party with no stake in your booking.

Watch: the process behind this route

This guide covers routing and clearance for Brazil. The video below covers the wider shipping process that sits around it.

How to Ship Internationally via Ocean Freight | Step-by-Step Process, Documents & Cost Explained — 10 Min For Supply Chain. Published on YouTube by a third party; we link it because it explains the process well, not because we produced it or endorse the provider.

Get a rate for Brazil

This lane is quoted per shipment rather than from a rate card: the landed cost depends on the commodity, its density, the conformity requirements above and the delivery point. Send the cargo details and we price it properly.

Answer these and you get a real price, not a range. These are the exact figures a carrier needs before it will quote. Fill them in once and we can price your cargo the same day — leave them out and we have to come back and ask, which is what turns an hour into a week.

kg
ctn
Carton sizeoptional
× × cm
m³
ctr
Built-in battery?* Lithium cells are dangerous goods.
Someone else's brand?* Logos you are not authorised to ship.
Magnetic product?* Speakers, motors, magnets.
Why these three decide everything

They determine whether your cargo can fly, and on which service. A declared battery changes the price; an undeclared one grounds the shipment at the airport and you pay storage while it sits. Unauthorised brands are seized at customs and the freight is lost with them. Magnetic goods need a field test — routine, but it has to be booked ahead. Telling us now costs a click; telling us later costs the shipment.

Sea or air?*
Tick both and we quote both.
When should it move?optional
Photographs of the goodsoptional
    Your details are used to prepare this quotation and nothing else.

    See the Brazil route page →

    Customs clearance in Brazil

    Duty and tax position, certification, typical port dwell and what actually holds shipments at this border — plus who files the entry.

    Brazil clearance requirements →

    Priced routes to Brazil