On Brazilian imports, the large majority of delays are not caused by the cargo itself but by documents that do not match the declaration. Four categories account for most of the cases we handle.
1. Commercial invoice and packing list do not reconcile
Description, quantity and unit price on the invoice must be derivable from the carton count, gross and net weight on the packing list. A frequent error is pricing by "set" on the invoice while counting by "piece" on the packing list, with no conversion note — leaving customs unable to establish the correspondence.
2. NCM code and goods description do not match closely enough
Brazil uses the NCM nomenclature. Descriptions that are too generic — "steel products" and nothing else — trigger manual review. We recommend stating material, specification and end use together.
3. Certificate of origin conflicts with the bill of lading
A mismatch between the shipper on the certificate of origin and the consignee or shipper on the bill of lading is a high-frequency reason for preferential tariff treatment being rejected. Check three fields before issuance: shipper, consignee and goods description.
4. Missing fumigation marking on wooden packaging
Where wooden pallets or crates are used, the IPPC mark and fumigation certificate must be traceable with the shipment. Without them, the whole consignment waits in the terminal and charges accrue daily.
All of the above can be eliminated by a single pre-shipment document review. We run that check on every consignment before declaration, which is the main reason our clearance times stay stable.