Brazil’s government will eliminate import taxes on essential food items to reduce prices, benefiting citizens. The initiative includes an expanded import quota for palm oil and changes to food safety inspections, allowing broader distribution of locally certified products. Investments in domestic food production are also planned, targeting basic food accessibility.
The Brazilian government has announced the elimination of import taxes on essential food items to alleviate prices for citizens. Products benefiting from this decision include coffee, olive oil, sugar, corn, sunflower oil, sardines, cookies, pasta, and meat. Vice President Geraldo Alckmin, who is also the Minister for Industry and Trade, made the announcement after a meeting with President Lula and various government ministers.
Alckmin stated, “These are measures to reduce prices, to benefit citizens so that they can maintain their purchasing power and have their basic food basket at a better price.” He emphasized that this initiative is intended to stimulate both production and commerce sectors while sacrificing some tax revenue for the sake of price reductions. The import tax on these food items currently ranges from 7.2% for corn to 32% for sardines.
Additionally, the government plans to increase the import quota for palm oil from 60,000 to 150,000 metric tons. There is also a proposal to widen the jurisdiction of Brazil’s Municipal Inspection Service (SIM) from local to national levels. This change will enable locally certified food products, such as liquid milk, honey, and eggs, to be sold across the country, increasing their market reach.
Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Carlos Fávaro, noted that the changes offer more opportunities for farmers. He mentioned that the scope of SIM inspections will be applied nationwide for products deemed safe for consumption: “For one year, we will apply the effects of the SIM to the entire Brazilian territory … without any loss in food quality.”
Moreover, the Brazilian government is working to enhance domestic production of basic food commodities. The National Supply Company (Conab) plans to invest in regulatory stock formation to support these efforts. Minister of Agrarian Development and Family Agriculture, Paulo Teixeira, stated that there will be a set of subsidized products available to Brazilian society, concentrating on the basic food basket.
In conclusion, Brazil’s government is taking significant steps to reduce food prices by eliminating import taxes on essential food products. This decision aims to preserve citizens’ purchasing power while also stimulating both production and commerce. Alongside these measures, plans to expand food safety inspections and boost domestic food production further demonstrate the government’s commitment to enhancing food accessibility for all Brazilians.
Original Source: www.just-food.com
