A total of 13 products had their Import Tax reduced, decided today (15) by the Executive Management Committee of the Foreign Trade Chamber (Gecex/Camex). In all, nine products had their tariff zeroed. Three had their rate reduced to 2%, and one to 6.5%.
Among the products benefited are medicines and medical equipment, ink for printing books, contact lenses, hops for breweries and polypropylene resin.
Camex zeroed out import rates for drugs with olaparib, a substance used in the treatment of breast, ovarian and prostate cancers. The tax on drugs with tiotropium bromide monohydrate and olodaterol hydrochloride, a bronchodilator indicated for the treatment of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), was also zeroed.
These two items paid 8% to enter the country. The reduction was approved with the inclusion of items in the List of Exceptions to the Mercosur Common External Tariff (LETEC), such as ex-tariff, a product without equivalent national production.
Two endovascular medical devices (used inside blood vessels) had their rate cut from 16% to 0%. The first is a device used to dissolve and eliminate thrombi. Another device is used in surgeries with the assistance of robotic equipment that involve the installation of catheters, stents coronary and peripheral vascular diseases, among other medical conditions. These two products were also included as ex-tariff.
shortage
To avoid shortages, Gecex members also approved the reduction to zero of tariffs on the following products: high tenacity polyester yarn; hop extract; a type of sunscreen; a heart valve prosthesis system and a skull electrode fixation system for Parkinson’s disease. Rates ranged from 8% to 18%.
For the same reason, three products had their rates reduced to 2%, including black and color book printing inks and silicone hydrogel contact lenses.
industrial input
Camex reduced the Import Tax on polypropylene resins to 6.5%. The substance is used in the production of items for various segments of the industry, such as applications in flexible packaging, bags for grains and fertilizers, plastic chairs, toys, appliances and auto parts, among other uses.
