56% would vote for candidate favoring end of "blusinha tax," poll shows

A recent national poll in Brazil indicates a significant portion of the electorate favors ending the "taxa das blusinhas," a tax on imported goods up to $50.

The survey, conducted by Proteste in May 2026, revealed that 56% of respondents would vote for a candidate advocating for the tax's abolition. This sentiment is particularly strong in the Southeast and South regions, with 63% and 57% respectively expressing this preference. Consumers in lower income brackets (classes C and D) also show strong support, with 57% indicating they would vote for such a candidate.

Henrique Lian, executive director of Proteste, criticized the tax as a "tax injustice" that penalizes poorer consumers. He argued that individuals making small online purchases should not bear the burden of protecting large wholesale importers, calling it a form of "tax injustice" rather than "tax equality."

Overall, 75% of those surveyed do not consider the tax on international purchases up to $50 to be fair, with this figure rising to 79% among consumers in classes C and D, and 80% in the Northeast region. A significant 68% also find it disproportionate that international travelers can bring up to $1,000 worth of goods into the country tax-free, while small online purchases remain taxed.

The "Remessa Conforme" program, launched by the Federal Revenue Service in July 2023, aimed to regulate cross-border transactions by exempting purchases up to $50. Major e-commerce platforms like Shein, Shopee, AliExpress, Mercado Livre, and Amazon joined the program. However, in the first half of 2024, lawmakers, under pressure from domestic retailers, reintroduced import taxes on these small purchases, citing losses to the national market.