Solid waste import tariff rises to 18%

As of August, paper, plastic and glass waste will pay more to enter the country. The Executive Management Committee (Gecex) of the Foreign Trade Chamber (Camex) increased the Import Tax on these products to 18%.

In a note, the Ministry of Development, Industry, Commerce and Services (MDIC) informed that the measure intends to strengthen the national solid waste recycling chain and reduce the impact of waste from other countries on the environment in the national territory.

So far, waste paper and glass do not pay import tariffs. In the case of plastic waste, the rate was 11.2%. The tariff for colorless glass waste was not readjusted to guarantee supply to the national industry, which does not have sufficient alternative sources of the material within the country to meet its needs.

According to the MDIC, the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change (MMA) had expressed concern about imports of solid waste, which resulted in the creation, by the General Secretariat of the Presidency of the Republic, of a specific Technical Working Group within the scope of the Interministerial Committee for Socioeconomic Inclusion of Collectors of Reusable and Recyclable Materials (CIISC).

According to the work group’s assessment, Brazilian imports of paper, plastic and glass waste grew between 2019 and 2022.

The measure, informed the MDIC, will benefit the collectors because the increase in tariffs on imports will increase the prices of the sale of recyclable materials and will prevent the emptying of the activity caused by the entry of products. “In addition to the undesirable social consequences, there are negative impacts (of imported waste) on the environment due to the increase in the deposit of waste in landfills and dumps, jeopardizing the work carried out for the recovery of recyclable and reusable materials generated locally”, informed the MDIC.