Every country needs to regulate the entry and exit of goods internationally in order to maintain control over what circulates in its territory and guarantee the safety of its users, especially with regard to products with more technical specificities. This role is usually taken on by authorities that set guidelines and monitor compliance with them.
It is about these authorities and their control mechanisms that we are going to deal with this new detailed article: a complete guide on Consenting Authorities in Import and Export.
What are the Consenting Authorities?
The authorities directly linked to the government and which regulate and control the entry and exit of goods from the country are called Consenting Authorities. Each one, within its area of expertise, delimits the parameters that authorize the entry and/or exit of a given product in national territory.
Let's say the intention is to import items for medical-hospital use. If there were no regulations on the entrances, any product could be sold and, as it is a global operation, the quality expected nationally could not be reached by a material manufactured in another country.
For this, the agencies have qualified technical personnel who analyze and authorize or veto the entry of products through Import Licenses.
Nowadays, due to technological advances, the consenting bodies are connected to the Integrated Foreign Trade System - SISCOMEX, which facilitates and speeds up the analysis and subsequent release of licenses, which must, in most cases, be requested before the shipment of products
Based on the information declared in the system, the technicians authorized by Consenting Authorities verify if the merchandise fits into the pre-established guidelines and parameters and, only then, do they allow entry into the country through effective nationalization of the cargo.
Complete list of Consenting Authorities in Brazil
The consenting authorities can act by regulating both the entry (import) and the exit (export) of goods. Below, we compile which authority work in each modality:
Consenting Authorities for Import:
National Electric Energy Agency - ANEEL
National Health Surveillance Agency - ANVISA
Department of Foreign Trade Operations – DECEX
Federal Police Department - DPF
National Department of Mineral Production - DNPM
Brazilian Institute for the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources – IBAMA
National Agency for Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels - ANP
Brazilian Postal and Telegraph Company - ECT
National Institute of Metrology, Standardization and Industrial Quality - INMETRO
Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply - MAPA
Ministry of Science, Technology, Innovations and Communications – MCTIC
Manaus Free Trade Zone Superintendence – SUFRAMA
National Nuclear Energy Commission - CNEN
Army Command - Controlled Products Inspection Directorate - DFCP
Consenting Authorities for Export:
National Electric Energy Agency - ANEEL
National Health Surveillance Agency - ANVISA
Department of Foreign Trade Operations – DECEX
Federal Police Department - DPF
National Department of Mineral Production - DNPM
Brazilian Institute for the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources – IBAMA
National Agency for Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels - ANP
Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply - MAPA
Ministry of Science, Technology, Innovations and Communications – MCTIC
Manaus Free Trade Zone Superintendence – SUFRAMA
National Nuclear Energy Commission - CNEN
Army Command - Controlled Products Inspection Directorate - DFCP
How does an Consenting Authority act?
With the function of regulating the entry and exit of controlled goods, the Consenting Authorities act by delimiting and inspecting the parameters and specifications to attest to the classification of items in the molds defined by the Brazilian Government.
As a rule, those interested in importing or exporting regulated products must request a specific license directly from the responsible consenting party before the actual shipment. Using the example mentioned above, of medical-hospital items, the company must request this license from ANVISA.
During the request, the technical catalogs of the supplier/manufacturer must be sent so that the agency's analysts can attest that the parameters are in accordance with the predetermined ones. After analysis, the license is granted and cargo shipment is authorized.
How to identify the products with consent?
Not all products need authorization to be imported or exported. To find out if an item requires an authorization or license issued by the consenting agency, it is necessary to study the administrative treatment of each import process.
The first step is to identify the Mercosur Common Nomenclature – NCM: based on these 8 digits, it is possible to verify whether there is an indication of consent or not. After the first analysis, and identifying the need, the specific item in question is studied, with its description and technical parameters.
Returning to our example of products for medical-hospital use, whose consenting agency would be ANVISA, it would be necessary to study the NCM together with the item description to then assemble a specific license request, since there are rules inherent to each group of characteristics .
Some consenting agencies still require the payment of an establishment or product registration fee, or an import license issuance fee. Procedures are carried out through systems integrated with SISCOMEX, and deadlines may vary according to the complexity of the petition.
Although today we rely on technology to streamline procedures, a high degree of technical knowledge is still needed to correctly analyze and frame the items that require approval.
To avoid problems during operational processes, it is recommended to have the support of those who have know-how in this field, avoiding unnecessary expenses with the payment of fines and extra fees. Target can help you in this quest!
Do you want to know more about our advisory service? Please contact us, it will be a pleasure to serve you.