Up to nine more Brazil land border duty free stores have been authorised to open, after it was revealed that the outlets are in the ‘implementation phase.’

This significant development was revealed by influential local politician Frederico Antunes on day one of the virtual La Frontera Hoy (second edition) meeting of border duty free shops in Latin America (24-25 November).

The development means Brazil will strengthen the 11 land border shops currently in operation following the passing of legislation granting their operation in the *32 twin cities in 2018.

DFA TO OPEN IN FOZ DO IGUAÇU

Three of the new stores will located in Barra do Quaraí and will be operated by Brasil Free Shop, New York Free Shop and Da Barra Free Shop. New York Free Shop (Loja 2) will operate a store in Uruguaiana, while Brazil Free Shop will run shops in São Borja and Quaraí.

Liberty and Duty Free Americas will each operate a store in Foz do Iguaçu, while Top Internacional will run an outlet in Guajará-Mirim.

Currently, seven border duty free shops are already operational in Uruguaiana. These are operated by Dufry Group, Central Duty Free, Brasil Free Shop (Matriz), Brasil Free Shop, New York Free Shop, Duty Free Americas and Bah Free Shop.

Further outlets are located in Jaguarão, Porto Xavier, Barra do Quaraí, Porto Mauá and Foz do Iguaçu. The stores are operated by Caraballat, Caturra, Emporio Duty Free, Free Shop Mauá and Sky Duty Free respectively.

Regulation to open land border duty free stores in Brail was finally approved in 2018, following the submission of a draft bill to the Brazilian government back in 2012.

José Luis Donagaray, Secretary General, ASUTIL said: “I would say that from the 11 that started we are having more [shops] and this is a really great success given the situation of Covid-19 with less displacement of people.”

In separate but related news reported earlier, the technical division of Brazil’s federal revenue agency Receita Federal is understood to have granted approval to a measure that would lift the allowance ceiling for Brazilians purchasing in their own shops from $300-$500.

*Bordering variously with with Argentina, Paraguay, Peru, Colombia, Bolivia, French Guiana, Uruguay, Guyana, Venezuela and Suriname.