Brazil is not a destination where you send off a standard B/L and see how it goes. Brazilian customs manifests on what is literally printed on the bill of lading, and if one mandatory detail is missing, your container stands still — or worse: it sails, and you pay for an expensive correction on a document that is already under way. Here is what needs to be in order before departure.
Four things that must be ON the B/L
- The consignee's CNPJ number. The CNPJ is the Brazilian company registration number (14 digits, format XX.XXX.XXX/XXXX-XX). Without a valid CNPJ for the receiver, the cargo cannot be manifested in Brazil. Ask your buyer for it at order confirmation, not at shipment.
- NCM codes per type of goods. The NCM (Nomenclatura Comum do Mercosul) is the 8-digit Mercosur commodity code; the first 6 digits follow the HS system. The NCM must appear on the B/L and on the commercial invoice — and they must match. Discrepancies between documents are a classic source of delay and fines.
- The freight amount. Brazil requires the ocean freight to be visible on the bill of lading, prepaid or not. "As agreed" does not cut it.
- A wood-packaging statement. A declaration whether the shipment contains wood packaging, and if so that it is ISPM 15 treated — or a "no wood packaging material" statement when there is none.
Check the draft B/L on these four points before you approve it. An amendment after departure costs money, time, and — if the ship arrives before the correction lands — port storage on top.
Wood packaging: ISPM 15 is actually enforced
Pallets, crates and dunnage must be ISPM 15 treated and marked (the HT stamp). Brazil actively checks this on arrival; untreated or unmarked wood means treatment, re-export or destruction — at the cargo's expense. Plastic pallets sidestep the problem entirely.
The importer must hold a RADAR licence
Importing into Brazil is reserved for companies with a RADAR registration (the admission to Siscomex, Brazil's customs system). No RADAR = no import declaration, however correct your documents are. RADAR comes in categories with caps on import value per six months, so a small or new importer can hit his ceiling.
On a first order, verify that your buyer holds an active RADAR registration and that the order value fits within his limit. That is a one-line question that can save you weeks of port storage.
The import declaration: DI/DUIMP, filed by the importer
The import declaration in Brazil (the DI, being replaced step by step by the DUIMP in the new Portal Único system) is filed by the importer or his Brazilian customs agent (despachante) — not by you as exporter and not by your Dutch forwarder. Your role is the supply line: a B/L, invoice and packing list that are correct, consistent with each other and with what the importer will declare. Send copy documents well before arrival so the despachante can prepare the declaration; Brazilian ports are not a place to let cargo wait cheaply.
On the Dutch side, Nexport Logistics handles the export declaration, the booking and a B/L that meets the Brazilian requirements — with a compliance check on your file in the Nexportal platform that flags these points before sailing. First shipment to Brazil? Mail info@nexportlogistics.nl.
Official sources: Douane — export · European Commission — Access2Markets Brazil · NCM/HS classification checked bindingly via tarief.douane.nl (EU side). Related: Bill of lading · ISPM 15 · Sea freight