Yesterday (21 December) The National Congress of Brazil finally approved an allowance increase from US$300-500 for Brazilians to spend at domestic border shops, following admirable lobbying efforts from ASUTIL; the trade association which represents duty free store operators in South America.

“You will remember that at the beginning of 2020 the allowance was increased at airports from US$500-$1000,” said ASUTIL Secretary General, José Luis Donagaray during a press conference held today.

“We have done a lot of work this year with the Brazilian Government to see how this [new allowance increase] could work.”

ASUTIL Secretary General, José Luis Donagaray says he expects the physical ASUTIL conference to return in June 2023.

As reported, the first stores on the Brazilian border opened at the beginning 2019 and while the pandemic stalled some plans for further openings in 2020 and 2021, Donagaray expects that the total number of stores at the border could exceed 35 by next year.

IAADFS AND ASUTIL TO STAGE OWN EVENTS

ASUTIL’s Donagaray, also revealed that the association will not be a partner for the Summit of the Americas (SoA) event due to take place in Palm Beach next year.

However, he did say that the association would be a ‘content partner’ supplying data and information for the SoA’s education sessions.

He announced that a physical meeting of border store operators (Encuentro de Border Duty Free Shops de América Latina La Frontera Hoy) would return next November (2022) in Foz de Iguaçu, Brazil, while an ASUTIL conference similar to the one last staged in 2017 is likely to take place in June 2023. The preference for the location at the moment is the Caribbean, but this is still to be confirmed.

More to follow…