USA
Brazil trade laneBrazil buys American capital equipment across every sector: industrial machinery, agricultural and construction equipment, medical devices, oil-and-gas hardware, and technology. It is also, famously, one of the world's most demanding import environments — layered taxes, licensing systems, and documentation standards that punish improvisation and reward preparation.
AGF runs the US side completely and partners with veteran Brazilian customs specialists on the destination side — because on this lane, the shipment's success is decided in the paperwork weeks before the vessel sails.
How Machinery & Equipment Ships from USA to Brazil
The freight itself follows standard machinery logic: containerized when in-gauge, flat rack or breakbulk when not, 14–21 days on the water from Gulf and East Coast ports to Santos. The distinctive work is documentary: Brazilian import licensing (many machines require pre-approval), NCM classification agreed with the consignee's broker, and invoice precision to Brazilian standards.
Brazil's tax stack on imports — import duty plus IPI, ICMS, PIS/COFINS — can double a machine's cost, but capital-goods relief mechanisms (the ex-tarifário regime for equipment without Brazilian equivalents) can dramatically reduce it. That application happens before shipment, planned with the buyer.
- Container/flat rack/breakbulk per machine dimensions
- Import licensing confirmed before the vessel is booked
- NCM classification pre-agreed with the Brazilian broker
- Ex-tarifário opportunities flagged for eligible capital goods
What Drives the Cost
- Brazil's layered import taxes — often exceeding the freight many times over
- Ex-tarifário eligibility for capital equipment
- Mode by machine dimensions
- US inland and export packing
- Licensing timeline built into the project schedule
HS Codes and Duty Notes
Classification guidance only — duty rates change and depend on your exact product. Our licensed customs brokers verify every code before you commit to an order.
| HS Code | Products | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 84 / 85 chapters (NCM in Brazil) | Machinery and electrical equipment | Brazil classifies under NCM (Mercosur nomenclature); the classification drives duty, tax treatment, licensing, and ex-tarifário eligibility — agreed with the Brazilian broker before shipping. |
| 9018 / 9027 | Medical and analytical equipment | ANVISA (health agency) registration requirements apply on the Brazilian side for medical devices — a consignee-side process to complete pre-shipment. |
Regulations and Compliance
Siscomex/RADAR — the Brazilian importer's license to import
Brazilian consignees must be enabled in the Siscomex system (RADAR license) with sufficient import capacity for the transaction value. Verifying the consignee's status is our first question on every Brazil shipment — cargo shipped to an unlicensed importer simply waits.
Import licensing (LI)
Many machinery categories require import licenses approved before shipment. License-before-vessel is the iron rule; we build licensing timelines into the project plan.
US export side
EEI filings and export-control screening (most machinery EAR99, with review for controlled categories) — the standard US export framework, handled as routine.
Ex-tarifário planning
Brazil grants duty reductions for capital goods without domestic equivalents through the ex-tarifário process — applications the Brazilian buyer files, with technical documentation we help assemble. On eligible equipment, it changes the entire project economics.
Door-to-Door Shipping Service
From US manufacturers and dealers to Brazilian plants: export packing verification, EEI and export formalities, the right vessel and equipment, and destination coordination with Brazilian customs specialists who live in Siscomex daily.
For complex projects, the pre-shipment phase is the service: licensing, classification, and tax planning aligned between buyer, broker, and freight before anything moves — the difference between clearance in days and cargo aging in Santos.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is shipping to Brazil considered difficult?
How much tax will Brazilian customs add to my machine?
How long does USA-to-Brazil machinery shipping take?
Machinery & Equipment is just one example. AGF ships whatever your business moves — on this lane and beyond. If your commodity isn't covered by one of our guides, tell us what you ship and we'll build the logistics around it.
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