Buyer Guides

Importing Human Hair into Brazil: Duties, Documents & Real Costs

08 SEP 2026 · BY THE IRANIANHAIR TEAM · 9 MIN READ

Brazil is one of the world's biggest markets for mega hair, lace wigs and premium extensions — and one of the trickiest countries to import into if you go in unprepared. This guide walks Brazilian salon owners, mega hair studios and wholesalers through what actually happens between "I paid the supplier" and "the hair is on my table in São Paulo": the tariff code, the two import routes, the taxes that stack on top of each other, and the documents your supplier must get right. We ship to Brazil regularly, so this is the practical version — not the legal textbook.

One honest disclaimer up front: Brazilian import taxation changes, and rates vary by state and by regime. Use this article to understand the structure and ask the right questions — then confirm the current numbers with a despachante aduaneiro (licensed customs broker) before your first large order. A good despachante costs little compared to one surprise at customs.

The Tariff Code: NCM 0501.00.00

Brazil classifies goods with NCM codes (based on the international HS system). Raw, unworked human hair — which is what we sell — enters under NCM 0501.00.00: human hair, unworked, whether or not washed or scoured. Hair that has been worked (drawn, rooted, made into wefts, wigs or pieces) falls under chapter 67 codes with different duty rates. This distinction matters on your invoice: raw bulk hair and finished wig pieces are not taxed the same way, so the supplier's paperwork must describe the goods precisely.

Route 1: Courier Parcels (Remessa Expressa)

Small shipments by DHL, FedEx or UPS ride Brazil's simplified courier regime. It is fast and requires no import license — the courier clears customs for you — but it is taxed heavily: the remessa regime applies a steep flat import tax on the declared value, plus state ICMS on top. For a sample kilogram it is usually worth it: you pay the tax, you get the hair in a week, you judge the quality with your own hands. For repeat commercial volume, the math stops working — the percentage taken by the simplified regime is exactly what your margin was supposed to be.

Our advice to new Brazilian buyers is simple: order your first 1 kg sample by courier and accept the tax as the cost of verification. Test the hair — run the bleach test, check the cuticle, make a test piece. Decide whether we deserve your volume business before you invest in an import structure.

Route 2: Formal Import (RADAR + Siscomex)

Regular commercial importing runs through Brazil's formal system: your company registers for RADAR (the federal revenue service's import authorization) and operates through Siscomex, usually with a despachante handling the filings. The cost stack on a formal import typically looks like this:

• II (Imposto de Importação) — the federal import duty on the customs value (goods + freight + insurance).
• IPI — the industrialized products tax, where applicable to the classification.
• PIS/COFINS — federal contributions charged on imports.
• ICMS — the state tax, varying by state (roughly 17–20% in most states), calculated on top of the other taxes, not just the goods value.
• Broker, storage and clearance fees — the operational costs of the port or airport.

Yes, the taxes compound — each is calculated on a base that includes the previous ones. That is why experienced importers never estimate landed cost as "price plus one percentage": ask your despachante for a full landed-cost simulation on NCM 0501.00.00 into your state before ordering. From roughly 5 kg per shipment upward, formal import almost always beats the courier regime per kilogram, and it is the only compliant route for a business importing every month.

The Documents We Provide

Every Brazil shipment from us leaves Istanbul with:

• Commercial invoice — NCM code, precise goods description (raw human hair, unworked), unit price, total value, Incoterm.
• Packing list — bundles and net weight per box.
• Air waybill — the transport document from the courier or freight line.
• Certificate of origin — on request, for your customs file.

Undervaluing invoices to "help" with taxes is something we are asked about and always refuse — a customs value challenge in Brazil costs far more than the tax saved, and can flag your CNPJ for every future import. We declare real values; plan your pricing on real landed costs.

What the Hair Itself Should Be

Brazilian buyers work mostly in mega hair and lace pieces for a market that loves length and natural movement — which is exactly where raw Iranian hair fits: fine strands, soft natural wave, brown-to-light bases that blend with Brazilian clients' hair, in single-donor bundles of 150 g and up. Lots run 45–75 cm in natural distribution — see the live board for what is in stock this week, and read our price-per-kg guide to understand what you should pay.

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