The Ministry of Economy launched a new phase of the Single Foreign Trade Portal Program, seeking to facilitate import procedures related to licensing and tariff quotas. Additionally, the National Committee on Trade Facilitation (CONFAC, in the Portuguese acronym) at the Ministry of Economy submitted its 2021-2022 Work Plan to public consultation.
The Ministry of Economy launched a new phase of the Single Foreign Trade Portal Program, aimed at facilitating import and export procedures within the Integrated Foreign Trade System (SISCOMEX), by simplifying procedures, normative requirements, and operational systems.
Ordinance n. 77/2021 from the Foreign Trade Secretariat (SECEX) introduced the new phase by allowing the SISCOMEX Portal to conduct import operations subject to SECEX import licensing and related to the use of import tariff quotas, and the purchase of used goods within the portal. Although the new possibility is experimental, companies can now carry those import operations in accordance with the ordinance. According to the Ministry of Economy, other operations under SECEX regulatory framework may be incorporated to the SISCOMEX Portal in 2021, as well as import procedures subject to intervention from other Federal Public Administration bodies. The program aims at reducing time for cargo liberation.
The National Committee on Trade Facilitation (CONFAC, in the Portuguese acronym) at the Foreign Trade Chamber (CAMEX) submitted its 2021-2022 Work Plan to public consultation. The Work Plan will guide the Committee in its role of implementing trade facilitation policies, also aimed at simplifying import and export procedures. The proposed Work Plan is comprised of nine strategic lines of work:
- Oversight of the formal compliance with the WTO’s Trade Facilitation Agreement;
- Development of permanent dialog mechanisms between CONFAC and the private sector;
- Consolidation of the digital environment for foreign trade – Single Foreign Trade Portal Program;
- Reform of the import and export administrative procedures;
- Implementation of the recommendations of the Time Release Study – Brasil (available here);
- Provision of support to Trade Facilitation Local Commissions (COLFACS, in the Portuguese acronym);
- Promotion of a coordinated management of borders;
- Amplification of the Integrated Authorized Economic Operator (AEO/OEA, in the Portuguese acronym) program.
The Wok Plan is available here (in Portuguese). Suggestions and contributions can be submitted to this e-mail address until February 10.
Additionally, the Ministry of Economy expects new developments for a unified payment system for import duties and contributions, namely Centralized Foreign Trade Payments (PCCE, in the Portuguese acronym), applicable to both the Single Import Declaration (DUIMP, in the Portuguese acronym) and the Import Declaration (DI, in the Portuguese acronym) methods. Furthermore, the SISCOMEX Portal also updated its “Classif” module, related to fiscal classification of imported and exported goods. More information is available here (in Portuguese).