Step-by-Step Guide to Exporting from Bangladesh to Brazil in 2026 (Process, Documents, Costs, Timelines)
Md. Joynal Abdin
Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Trade & Investment Bangladesh (T&IB)
Executive Director, Online Training Academy (OTA)
Secretary General, Brazil Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce & Industry (BBCCI)
Exporting to Brazil in 2026 is very doable for a first-time Bangladeshi exporter, but it rewards preparation more than improvisation. Brazil’s import system is document-driven, tax-heavy, and compliance-sensitive, while Bangladesh’s export side depends on clean banking documentation (EXP) and accurate customs declaration through ASYCUDA World (SAD format). If you treat the shipment as a managed project from HS/NCM classification to final clearance you can control cost surprises and prevent delays.
1) Start with product fit and the “Brazil reality check” before you quote a price
Before you negotiate with a Brazilian buyer, confirm three things: your HS code (Bangladesh side), Brazil’s NCM code (their tariff classification), and whether the product is regulated in Brazil. Many first shipments fail not because the product is bad, but because the importer discovers late that a license, technical certification, or agency approval is required.
Brazil’s import environment is modernizing through its Single Foreign Trade Portal (“Portal Único”), and the Single Import Declaration (DUIMP) has been replacing older workflows in a phased transition that runs through the end of 2025, meaning 2026 operations increasingly run on the DUIMP + licensing modules rather than older DI/LI processes. This matters to you even as an exporter because your Brazilian buyer will ask for more structured data earlier (correct HS/NCM, description standards, and compliance evidence) to keep their DUIMP workflow smooth.
At this stage, you should also decide whether your offer will be FOB Chattogram, CFR/CIF Santos, or even DAP/DDP. Incoterms choice changes who pays which costs and who carries which risks. New exporters typically choose FOB (you control local logistics to the port, buyer controls ocean freight) or CIF (you also arrange freight and insurance), because these are easier to price and document.
2) Make your exporter identity “bankable” and customs-ready in Bangladesh
To export commercially from Bangladesh, you typically need an Export Registration Certificate (ERC). Bangladesh Customs’ Import/Export Hub shows ERC as a required pre-export document and indicates a validity of five years for ERC entries listed there. You also need your trade license, TIN, VAT/BIN (as applicable), and a functioning export bank relationship because export shipments depend on the EXP declaration.
A critical Bangladesh-side document is the EXP Form, a statutory declaration under foreign exchange regulations that is submitted before shipment and is tied to repatriation of export proceeds. In practice, your authorized dealer (bank) and customs processes rely on consistent shipment values, buyer details, and shipping data matching your invoice and transport document.
On the customs filing side, Bangladesh Customs notes that export declarations are submitted in the automated ASYCUDA World system in Single Administrative Document (SAD) format. This is why classification, declared value, buyer name, and shipping line/airline data must be accurate before you reach the port.
3) Convert negotiation into a “shipment-ready” export contract
Once you and the buyer agree commercially, you turn the deal into exportable paperwork. Your export contract (or LC, if used) must precisely match what will appear on the commercial invoice and packing list. In Brazil, overly generic product descriptions create clearance friction; in Bangladesh, inconsistencies can block customs processing or trigger queries.
For first-time exporters to Brazil, it is smart to agree on these details early (in narrative form inside the contract): product description (commercial + technical), HS/NCM, unit, quantity tolerance, packing method, Incoterms, shipment window, payment terms, document set required by the buyer, and who arranges insurance and freight.
4) Prepare the core export document set the way customs and banks expect
Bangladesh export documentation is not complicated, but it must be consistent. A practical core set includes commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading (or air waybill), and export registration details, with HS code and ERC information correctly shown where relevant. DHL’s Bangladesh-focused guidance highlights these as key documents and emphasizes that invoice data (including HS and exporter registration details) drives customs valuation and smooth processing. EPB guidance also reflects a similar package of documents and procedures for exports.
For Brazil-bound shipments, you should strongly consider adding a Certificate of Origin (even if no preferential tariff applies, buyers often need it for documentation completeness) and product-specific certificates where relevant (for example, sanitary/phytosanitary for plant/food items).
5) Don’t ship until you understand Brazil-side compliance triggers
This is the single biggest “new exporter” lesson: Brazil clearance is not only about paying taxes. It is also about whether an import license, agency approval, or technical conformity step is needed. Brazil’s system integrates licensing and approvals through its single-window approach; DUIMP is designed to centralize administrative, fiscal, and customs data.
So, before you finalize production and packing, ask your Brazilian buyer (or their customs broker) to confirm whether the product requires any of the following: health surveillance approvals, agricultural controls, or standards/conformity requirements. If a regulated item is shipped without the needed pre-approvals, you risk storage charges, demurrage, return-to-origin, or destruction costs that can exceed your profit.
6) Build your landed-cost model (otherwise your “cheap” price will lose the deal)
Brazil is famous for layered import taxation and fees. Even if your buyer pays them, Brazilian buyers often negotiate harder if you cannot explain the landed-cost logic clearly. Common components include Import Duty (II), IPI, PIS-Import, COFINS-Import, and ICMS (a state VAT-style tax), plus administrative fees. Trade.gov notes, for example, that IPI on imports is generally assessed on CIF value plus import duty (methodology matters for estimates).
On top of taxes, maritime shipments can face the AFRMM surcharge tied to waterway freight in Brazilian ports; it is widely described as a freight-linked charge created to support Brazil’s merchant marine fund. (Rates and exemptions can change, so the buyer’s broker should confirm the current rule for the specific cargo and route.)
From the exporter perspective, your own cost stack typically includes factory cost, export packaging, inland haulage to Chattogram (or other port), C&F/CHA service fees, port/terminal handling, documentation fees, freight (if you quote CFR/CIF), cargo insurance (if CIF), bank charges, inspection/testing (if required), and any special certification. If you quote CIF, remember that Brazil’s import duty is often calculated on CIF, so freight and insurance can also affect the buyer’s tax base.
7) Plan a realistic 2026 timeline and manage the “delay zones”
A clean first shipment to Brazil needs a timeline that matches reality, not hope. The two biggest variables are production readiness and documentation readiness, followed by sea transit and Brazil clearance.
For sea freight, public route references commonly show shipments moving via Santos (São Paulo state) and indicate that ocean transit can be measured in weeks, not days. For example, one logistics route reference lists the shortest sea shipping time between Chittagong and São Paulo (via Santos) at about 34 days with scheduled departures every 1–2 weeks. Treat this as a planning baseline; real transit varies by carrier, transshipment, and congestion.
A practical planning structure for a first-time exporter looks like this in real life: you spend time finalizing classification/compliance and contract terms, then you lock documents, then you ship, then the buyer clears. The “delay zones” usually appear when product descriptions don’t match across documents, when HS/NCM is wrong, when required certificates are missing, or when the buyer starts Brazil licensing steps too late for DUIMP processing.
8) Execute shipment: customs filing, transport document, and bank alignment
When your cargo is ready, your forwarding and customs agent will prepare the export declaration through ASYCUDA World in SAD format and align the shipment with your EXP declaration and bank documentation. Once the vessel sails (or the flight departs), the bill of lading/air waybill becomes the anchor document that the buyer uses for customs clearance and payment processing.
This is the moment where discipline pays off: your invoice amount, packing list quantities, HS code, consignee name, and shipping marks must match across all papers. If you are using an LC, the bank’s document checking is strict minor inconsistencies can delay payment even when the cargo is delivered.
9) Brazil arrival and clearance: what your buyer needs from you, fast
In 2026, many Brazilian import operations are expected to be running under the DUIMP/Portal Único model rather than older Siscomex-only routines, which increases the importance of complete and structured shipment data. Your buyer (or their broker) will often request clarification documents immediately after arrival: better product descriptions, extra certificates, or confirmation of composition/technical specs. Responding quickly here is not customer service it is cost control, because storage and port charges can grow daily.
10) A “first-shipment” checklist in narrative form (so you don’t miss the critical path)
If you want your first Bangladesh to Brazil export in 2026 to be smooth, treat compliance and classification as the starting point, not the finishing step. Secure ERC and banking readiness early because export operations depend on correct EXP handling and consistent shipment values. Build your documentation set so invoice, packing list, and transport documents match perfectly, and remember that Bangladesh customs declarations run through ASYCUDA World with SAD formatting requirements. Coordinate with your Brazilian buyer on DUIMP-era licensing and product regulation, because delays there are usually expensive and avoidable. Finally, price intelligently by understanding Brazil’s layered tax structure and freight-linked charges so your quotation strategy matches how the buyer calculates landed cost.