Brazil's National Congress on Friday (August 28) installed the joint committee of deputies and senators that will review the provisional measure (MP) ending the so-called "blouse tax", the 20% import levy on international purchases of up to US$ 50 (about R$ 258) from e-commerce sites like Shein, Shopee and AliExpress. Deputy Reginaldo Lopes (PT-MG) will chair the committee, and Senator Leila Barros (PDT-DF) will be its rapporteur, according to Folha de S.Paulo and G1.
Lopes is part of the economic wing of the Workers' Party and helped steer the tax reform through Congress. Taking the chair, he called the exemption a matter of tax fairness and scheduled a meeting to present and vote the report on Monday (August 31).
"Exempting up to US$ 50 is almost an international practice. It is a symmetry of rights. Those with more economic power buy US$ 1,000 in their luggage and US$ 1,000 at the mall [...] Does anyone think that those who pay the most tax have no right to shop internationally too?", the deputy asked.
The rapporteur said she is "absolutely in favor" of the government's original text, but promised to hear the productive sectors that oppose scrapping the levy. Leila Barros said she will meet the government caucus this Friday. "We will talk, as calmly as possible, with everyone who has presented their views. It will be a task force on Saturday and Sunday", she said. Lopes told G1 he has "an open agenda to hear everyone" and did not rule out changes to the text.
The committee was installed after pressure from President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and a failed first attempt by the government to agree on its leadership. The breakthrough came on Wednesday (August 26) at a lunch at the Alvorada Palace between Lula and the speakers of the Chamber, Hugo Motta (Republicanos-PB), and the Senate, Davi Alcolumbre (União-AP). Alcolumbre, who recently moved closer to Lula after months of strained relations, guaranteed the measure "will not expire".
The blouse tax was created by the Lula administration itself in 2024 and drew backlash from consumers, who said it raised the price of popular products sold on international platforms. Brazilian retailers, in turn, argue that the exemption creates unfair competition with domestic commerce. The issue carries popular appeal and has become central to Lula, who is running for a fourth term in October.
The timetable is tight. The rapporteur's report will be presented and may be voted by the committee on Monday (August 31). On Wednesday (September 2), the measure is expected on the floor of both the Chamber and the Senate. It must be approved by September 8 or it lapses. If that happens, the 20% tax returns on September 9, less than a month before the first round of the election.