The União Geral dos Trabalhadores (UGT) has criticized the decision to end the "taxa das blusinhas" import tax in Brazil [1].
This move represents a significant shift in trade policy that could alter the competitiveness of domestic industries against foreign e-commerce platforms. The debate centers on whether lower costs for consumers outweigh the potential loss of local manufacturing jobs.
In an open letter, the UGT said the measure harms national production and compromises the maintenance of formal employment [1]. The union said that removing the tax creates an uneven playing field, allowing cheap imports to flood the market and displace locally made goods.
The UGT has formally requested that the National Congress revoke the provisional measure that ends the collection of the tax [1]. The organization said that the extinction of the levy may generate negative impacts for the domestic industry and the broader labor market [1].
According to the union, the policy change risks reducing internal production and putting formal jobs at risk [1]. By lowering the barrier for low-value imports—often referred to as "blusinhas" or small clothing items—the UGT said the government is prioritizing short-term consumer savings over long-term industrial stability.
The union said that protecting the national market is essential for sustaining the workforce and ensuring that Brazilian companies can compete with global digital retailers [1].
“The measure harms national production and compromises the maintenance of formal employment.”
This conflict highlights the tension between consumer-driven digitalization and protectionist industrial policy in Brazil. While removing import taxes on low-value goods increases purchasing power for the general population, it threatens the viability of small-scale domestic textile and electronics manufacturers who cannot compete with the scale of international platforms.
