How to organize exports from Russia to Brazil: logistics and documents

Export to Brazil. This is $6 billion in trade turnover over the past year. Mainly, of course, our fertilizers and petroleum products, which support their agricultural sector. It seems that this is a gold mine.

But there is a process behind every number in the report. Difficult, long and full of pitfalls. If you are thinking of shipping something to Brazil, you need to understand not only what to carry, but also how. Otherwise, your cargo risks getting stuck in the middle due to bureaucracy.

Step one: How is it possible to get there?

In 99% of cases, it will be the sea. The entire logistics of Russia and Brazil is built around the sea. Airplanes, of course, exist, but this is an option for those who are in a hurry and who have nowhere to put their money. If you don't have a shipment of diamonds, but a container with chemicals or equipment, then only the sea.

What does this mean in practice?

• Ports. The cargo is likely to sail from St. Petersburg. And it will arrive at the Brazilian port of Santos. It is the main hub, the largest in South America, serving both Sao Paulo and Rio. It's clear why everyone tends to go there.
• Deadlines. Get ready to wait. Long. 30-45 days. It's just the ship's travel time. Add here loading, waiting on the raid, unloading, terminal processing. A month and a half is an optimistic scenario.
• Money. The cost of the container is constantly floating. Aim for $2,000-$3,500 for a 20-foot and $3,500-$6,500 for a 40-foot. If the batch is small, less than 15 cubes, you can fit into a collection container (LCL), it will be cheaper.

In fact, a constructor almost always comes out, that is, multimodal transportation. This is when a truck picks up your product from a warehouse in the Russian Federation, takes it to the port, where it is loaded onto a ship, and in Brazil it is met by another truck and transported to the recipient's warehouse. The whole chain, for example, from Moscow to Sao Paulo, takes about 34 days. This whole story about cargo transportation in Brazil is, in fact, the art of connecting all these contractors.

Step two: documents. The most difficult part

To be honest, this is where the most difficult part begins. If everything is more or less clear with logistics, then documents are like a minefield. One mistake and that's it. Downtime, penalties, nerves.

What are we cooking in Russia?:

This is your passport from the country. Without these papers, the cargo will not pass through customs control.

1. Contract, invoice, packing list. This is a mandatory set, you can't go anywhere without it. The invoice should contain everything: who, to whom, what, how much, and how much. A packing list is, in fact, an inventory of the contents of each box.
2. Export license. It is not necessary for everyone. But if you are carrying something from electronics, chemicals, jewelry, you will have to get it from the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
3. Certificates. Certificate of Conformity (EAC), if the product is subject to technical regulations. A certificate of origin that confirms that the product is ours, Russian. Sometimes you need a health certificate.
4. The bill of lading. The main maritime document. The line issues it when it picks up your container.

What is required there, on the spot:

Local customs, Brazil is a strict country in this regard. Your Brazilian partner should be ready.

• Registration with Siscomex.The first thing to check is. Your buyer must be registered in this electronic system. If not, he won't be able to issue anything.
• Import Declaration (DI).When the ship arrives, the importer submits a declaration through Siscomex. Verification begins.
• Special requirements.It will be necessary to provide registration with their Ministry of Agriculture. Some of the oil products are checked for compliance with safety standards. Your partner on the other side should know and do all this. Your task is to give him the perfect source documents.

There are still a few details you need to know:

• No benefits. Despite our friendship within the framework of BRICS, we do not have a free trade agreement. This means that your product will be subject to a full range of local taxes upon entry into Brazil: IPI, PIS, COFINS, ICMS. Your customer should understand this and take it into account in the price.
• The specifics of the product. Brazil uses a lot of our fertilizers and diesel. Last year, diesel fuel alone was imported from Russia for 5.3 billion dollars. This means that the delivery of goods to Brazil has been adjusted for these items. But they also have maximum control over them. Safety data Sheet (MSDS), quality certificate, everything must be in perfect order.

So what's the end result?

The whole process is not just a search for the cheapest delivery, but a real strategic quest.

Success does not depend on the carrier's price, but on how carefully you approach each stage, especially choosing a reliable supplier who will correctly process the documents.

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