Recently, the Federal Government implemented significant changes to the Import Tax (II) rates applicable to various technology products and capital goods. These changes were enacted through resolutions issued by the Executive Management Committee of the Foreign Trade Chamber (Gecex/Camex) and triggered intense political and economic debate, particularly regarding their impact on the electronics and information technology sectors.
- Increase in Import Tax on Technology Products
In early February 2026, the government approved a tariff realignment that increased the Import Tax on more than 1,200 products, including industrial equipment, IT goods, and electronic components.
The justification presented by the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade and Services was the need to rebuild public revenues and protect domestic industry, especially in sectors with local production or a high level of structural imports.
In some cases, tax rates increased by up to 7.2 percentage points, affecting products related to technology, telecommunications, and information technology.
Among the potentially impacted items were electronic equipment, hardware components, and infrastructure-related technology goods.
- Controversy Regarding Consumer Electronics
The announcement of these measures generated significant public reaction, particularly due to the interpretation that widely consumed products, such as smartphones and laptops, would also be subject to higher taxation.
According to the initial resolutions, the import tax rate on smartphones could increase from 16% to 20%, raising concerns about potential price increases in the domestic market.
- Partial Government Rollback
In response to the negative reaction, Gecex decided to reverse part of the tariff changes.
Among the main measures subsequently announced were:
- reinstatement of previous rates for IT products, including smartphones and laptops, which returned to the 16% rate;
- maintenance of original tariffs for various technology items;
- reduction to zero import tax for approximately 105 products classified as capital goods or items without equivalent domestic production, under the ex-tariff regime.
The ex-tariff regime allows for the reduction or elimination of import taxes on machinery, equipment, or components without a domestic equivalent, with the objective of encouraging productive investment.
- Legal-Tax Considerations
From a legal and tax perspective, it is important to highlight that:
- the Import Tax has an extrafiscal nature, allowing the Executive Branch to modify rates without prior legislative approval;
- tariff changes may take effect almost immediately, due to their role as an economic policy instrument;
- such measures often have significant impacts on production chains that depend on imported technology.
- Conclusion
Although the government partially rolled back the increase in rates for consumer electronics, the episode reflects a broader trend toward reassessing Brazil’s import policy, particularly in the technology and capital goods sectors.
For companies that rely on imported equipment and components, it is advisable to continuously monitor Camex resolutions and ex-tariff regimes, as tariff changes may directly affect production costs, tax planning, and investment strategies.