The Chamber of Deputies plenary approved on Thursday the base text of the provisional measure that eliminates the so-called "blusinhas tax," the 20% tax on international purchases of up to US$ 50. The inclusion of the PM on the voting agenda was possible after a political agreement between the leadership of the Legislative Branch and the Presidential Palace. The deputies are still analyzing suggestions for changes before the text goes to the Senate.
The end of the charge is one of the electoral banners of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) for the re-election campaign. The topic generated internal division at the Presidential Palace throughout 2025, pitting on one side the then Finance Minister, Fernando Haddad, who feared the backlash from the productive sector with the measure.
On the other side was Minister Sidônio Palmeira, from the Secretariat for Social Communication of the Presidency (Secom), who defended removing the tax as a way to gain voter support. Given the assessment that the charge was politically harmful to the president, the measure was reversed this year.
