Disclaimer - we didn't end up flying the bikes to São Paulo (because we were able to change the shipment to Buenos Aires last minute) but we got to the very end of the outbound process and were poised to start paying deposits. This is a record for anyone who may find themselves in this pickle.
The first and essential step is to put in a request for a CPF number. This is an individual taxpayer identification number - you need to get this whether or not you will be paying taxes (yes, it's confusing). Essentially, this will allow you to sign a liability that will enable you to get a Temporary Import Permit.
You can do this online from outside Brazil and it's free:
https://www.gov.br/mre/pt-br/consula...citacao-de-cpf
https://servicos.receita.fazenda.gov...geiro/Fcpf.asp
Note that there is a delay between submitting your request and receiving the number. This can be up to 3 weeks, we receive ours in 10 days.
Next, you will definitely need a broker in Brazil - our broker was Cargofast Logistics, we can't recommend them either positively or negatively because we did not end up using them. We also spoke indirectly with Universal Logistics, who seemed to have more of an inkling of the requirements for an individual importing goods.
There are very specific shipping instructions for air cargo to Brazil.
The broker provides the export agent with detailed instructions which will cover the shipment itself and the AWBs (AirWay Bills). The main rule is that no cargo can be shipped before the broker has given a green light on the draft AWBs. We had the experience of the broker blocking the shipment a day before it was due to go through the customs process in Bangkok because of a detail in the paperwork.
I don't know if this is specific to Brazil, but it is imperative to have a MAWB/HAWB structure to the documentation (in this case we were shipping two motorcycles registered to two different people) - for Buenos Aires, we were told to ditch this format and have separate AWBs.
Essentially, this means having different shippers/consignees depending on the bill.
MAWB: broker in country of departure / broker in Brazil
HAWB: individual shipping the goods / individual shipping the goods
On arrival in Brazil, there are two key documents that are needed for import:
1. Declaração Simplificada de Importação - DSI Eletrônica
Research links:
-
https://www.gov.br/receitafederal/pt...dsi-eletronica
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https://www.gov.br/receitafederal/pt...s-and-vehicles
2. Guia Para Liberação de Mercadoria Estrangeira sem Comprovação do Ricolhimento*do ICMS - GLME
http://www.comercioexterior.ms.gov.b...Importador.pdf
The broker should be in charge of getting these done but it may be of use to know what to expect.
This is all the helpful info I can think of. The key thing is to get the CPJ number asap or else the process will grind to a halt.
Based on our discussions with other travellers who had successfully sea/air freighted bikes to Brazil, you would have to expect delays at destination and therefore storage fees to rack up.
Something that kept on coming up - and that we experienced also - was that brokers tend to get very creative when it comes to explaining the cause of a delay. If they don't actually know the answer, they will invent something! The right attitude
is to do a lot of research in preparation, search for solutions yourself, and make sure you are copied into and reviewing all comms between brokers.
For reference, we were quoted the following by the broker in Brazil:
-Customs Clearance: USD930.00 per HAWB.
-Airline Fees: USD55.00 per HAWB.
-Desconsolidation Fee: USD50.00 per HAWB.
-Handling Fee: USD40.00 per HAWB.
-Customs warehouse storage: at cost if occur.
Happy travels!