Doing Business in Brazil
Doing Business in Brazil
Doing Business in Brazil
2018
Brazil
Doing Business
in Brazil
2018
©2018 Trench Rossi Watanabe.
This publication is copyrighted. Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of private study or
research permitted under applicable copyright legislation, no part may be reproduced or
transmitted by any process or means without the prior permission of the editors.
The material in this guide is of the nature of general comment only. It is not offered as legal
advice on any specific issue or matter and should not be taken as such. Readers should refrain
from acting on the basis of any discussion contained in this publication without obtaining
specific legal advice on the particular facts and circumstances at issue. While the authors have
made every effort to provide accurate and up-to-date information on laws and regulations, these
matters are continuously subject to change. Furthermore, the application of these laws depends
on the particular facts and circumstances of each situation, and therefore, readers should consult
their attorney before taking any action.
Doing Business in Brazil 2018
Table of Contents
Importing into Brazil ........................................................................... 1
Import Licensing........................................................................... 1
Registration with SISCOMEX...................................................... 2
Customs Valuation........................................................................ 2
Agents ........................................................................................... 4
Local Similarity Test..................................................................... 4
Imports of Used Products.............................................................. 4
Temporary Admission Regime ..................................................... 4
Bonded Warehouse ....................................................................... 5
Leasing.......................................................................................... 5
Exchange....................................................................................... 6
Taxes on Imports........................................................................... 6
Latin American Integration Agreement (LAIA or ALADI) ......... 7
Southern Cone Common Market (MERCOSUL) ......................... 7
Manaus Free Trade Zone .............................................................. 7
Exporting from Brazil.......................................................................... 9
Export License .............................................................................. 9
Export Incentives .......................................................................... 9
Drawback Incentive ...................................................................... 9
RECOF.......................................................................................... 9
Exchange..................................................................................... 10
Taxes on Exports......................................................................... 10
Intellectual Property – Protection, Enforcement and Licensing........ 12
Patents......................................................................................... 12
Industrial Designs ....................................................................... 15
Trademarks ................................................................................. 16
Geographical Indications ............................................................ 18
Copyrights................................................................................... 19
Software ...................................................................................... 20
Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights in Brazil................ 21
Intellectual Property Licenses and Transfer of Technology ....... 27
Other Intellectual Property Rights .............................................. 31
Brokers...................................................................................... 234
Reinsurance............................................................................... 235
Operations in Foreign Currency................................................ 240
Insurance in Brazil and Abroad ................................................ 241
Employment Relations .................................................................... 243
Employment Relationships ....................................................... 243
Economic Group Concept......................................................... 244
Brazilian Labor Rights.............................................................. 244
Contract Modification Practices................................................ 246
Health, Safety and Environment Issues .................................... 246
Profit Sharing............................................................................ 247
Probation Period........................................................................ 247
Term of Employment ................................................................ 248
Part-time Employment .............................................................. 248
Termination and Severance....................................................... 248
Labor Claims and Release Agreements in Brazil ..................... 250
Social Security .......................................................................... 251
Outsourcing............................................................................... 253
Unions....................................................................................... 254
Real Estate....................................................................................... 255
Acquisition of properties........................................................... 256
Securities................................................................................... 257
Real estate lease and built to suit agreements ........................... 258
Lease in shopping centers ......................................................... 261
Acquisition and Leasing by Foreigners .................................... 263
Oil & Gas......................................................................................... 265
Midstream ................................................................................. 273
Downstream .............................................................................. 275
Exportation and importation ..................................................... 276
Environmental aspects .............................................................. 277
Tax Aspects............................................................................... 281
International Trade Regulation........................................................ 290
An Overview of the Brazilian Regime for Trade Remedies ..... 292
The import of certain goods not subject to licensing does not require
any authorization from the Brazilian authorities prior to shipment to
Brazil or clearance through Customs. Products imported under the
temporary admission regime and products entitled to import duty
reductions through an “Ex-Tarifário” are not subject to licensing. In
this case, the Brazilian importer must only register the Import
Declaration when the products undergo customs clearance.
Taxes are based on the customs value of the imported product. Based
on customs valuation rules, insurance and freight must be added to
determine the customs value of the imported products. Customs
agents may question the tax basis, demand a higher basis for tax
purposes, and impose penalties on the importer, depending on the
circumstances. Under- and over-invoicing are subject to a penalty of
100% of the under- or over-invoiced difference.
Patents
1. Patent Categories
The IP Law provides for two types of patents: (i) inventions and
(ii) utility models. An invention is an original concept that represents a
solution for a specific technical problem and may be industrially
manufactured or used. A utility model represents a known product
with a practical purpose that is given a new form or presentation,
improving its use or its manufacturing.
Inventions and utility models that are contrary to morals and good
practices or to public safety, order and health are not patentable.
Likewise, substances or products of any kind resulting from the
transformation of the atomic nucleus are not patentable. Living
beings, in whole or in part, are not subject to patent protection either,
except for transgenic microorganisms that present the prerequisites of
patentability and provided that they are not mere discoveries.
3. Prerequisites
The state of the art comprises everything that has been made available
to the public, either by written or oral description, by usage or any
other means, in Brazil or abroad, before the filing date of the
application. The requirement of an inventive activity will be complied
with whenever, according to a person skilled in the art, the invention
does not result from the state of the art in an evident or obvious
manner. As a third prerequisite for patentability, the invention must be
capable of being applied (i.e., used or produced) in an industrial scale.
4. Priority
5. Validity
An invention patent is valid for twenty (20) years and a utility model,
for fifteen (15) years, counted as of the date of filing of their
respective applications. It should be noted, however, that such validity
terms will never be less than ten (10) years for an invention patent and
seven (7) years for a utility patent, as from the grant date, except if the
INPI has been prevented from rendering a decision by reason of force
majeure or court order.
6. Scope of Protection
7. Compulsory Licenses
(ii) In case the patent is not fully exploited in Brazil within three (3)
years after the granting of the patent, for reasons other than lack
of economic feasibility
8. Certificate of Addition
Industrial Designs
1. Creations Valid for Registration
2. Prerequisites
3. Validity
The registration is valid for ten (10) years and may be renewed for
three (3) successive periods of five (5) years each. A renewal fee must
be paid every five (5) years.
Trademarks
1. Signs Qualified for Registration as Trademarks
3. Trademark Categories
4. Validity
Trademarks are registered for a ten (10)-year period and are renewable
for identical and successive terms.
5. Prerequisites
6. Priority
Geographical Indications
According to the IP Law, the following qualify for protection as
geographical indications and may be registered with the INPI:
Copyrights
1. Scope of Protection and Requirements
(ii) Reproduction, in only one sample, of small parts of the work for
private use by the person who has made the copy, with no profit
purposes
Software
1. Scope of Protection and Requirements
3. Administrative Remedies
5. Injunctions
(ii) Imprisonment of one (1) to three (3) months for other cases such
as use of trademark or advertisement expression to indicate false
origin of a product, or use of false geographical
indication - Such penalties may be increased when the violating
party is a sales representative/agent or an authorized individual,
company, partner or employee of the industrial property owner
or its licensee, and also if the violated trademark is a famous,
certified or collective mark.
The same principle applies to trademarks. The IP Law sets forth that
the trademark owner cannot prevent the free circulation of a product
bearing its trademark if such product was introduced in the Brazilian
market by the trademark owner or by a third party with the trademark
owner’s consent (except for specific situations concerning patented
products subject to compulsory license or for which manufacturing in
Brazil is not economically feasible).
(which can differ from the IP agent responsible for the IP portfolio
management) and (ii) the insertion of additional strategic information
and documentation relating to the products covered by the owner’s
trademark.
5. Franchise Agreements
2. Copyright Agreements
3. Software Agreements
The Provisional Act establishes that the access to any genetic resource
existent in Brazil and to any traditional knowledge associated thereto
for purposes of scientific research, technological development or
biodiversity prospecting is subject to the prior authorization of the
Brazilian Genetic Resource Management Council (Conselho de
Gestão do Patrimônio Genético – “CGEN”).
2. Domain Names
Domain names at the top level “.br” are granted by the Center of
Information and Coordination (“NIC”), by delegation of the Managing
Committee for Internet of the Ministries of Communication and
Science and Technology (“CGI”).
(i) The plant variety has not been commercialized abroad in the last
four years.
(ii) The plant variety has not been commercialized in Brazil in the
previous year.
4. Trade Secrets
In Brazil, the protection of trade secrets does not grant the owner
proprietary rights over information involving the protection of trade
secrets and the prevention of the same from being disclosed, exploited
or used without authorization. This conduct may be characterized
under Brazilian law as unfair competition. The IP Law characterizes
the unauthorized disclosure, exploitation or use of a trade secret as an
unfair competition crime that entitles its legitimate holder to claim
losses and damages arising therefrom. Nevertheless, if a third party,
by its own independent means, develops the same trade secret, it will
also be its legitimate holder.
The Biosafety Law says that the release of any GMO into the
environment shall be subject to prior authorization from the Brazilian
National Technical Biosafety Commission (“CTNBio”). In addition to
the authorization, any company willing to develop activities in
connection with biotechnology in Brazil, including research,
development of technology and industrial production, must: (i) obtain
a Certificate on Biosafety Quality and (ii) establish an Internal
Committee for Biosafety.
research will take place. As soon as GMOs enter the country, they
must be sent to the National Center of Genetic Resources and
Biosafety for laboratory tests prior to its release by the importer.
With the enactment of the law, the INPI has issued Resolution No.
187/2008, which governs the procedures for filling new applications
for the registration of topographies of integrated circuits and the
internal procedures for processing applications.
1. Network Neutrality
The exceptions to this general rule shall only be allowed: (i) if they
result from an imperative technical requirement for the adequate
provision of services and applications to users or (ii) in order to give
priority to emergency services. In addition, exceptions are subject to
regulation by decree issued by the President, with the opinion of the
Managing Committee for Internet of the Ministries of Communication
and Science and Technology (“CGI”) and the Brazilian
Telecommunications Agency (ANATEL).
Corporations
The general basic requirements of the S.A. are as follows:
1. Shareholders
2. Capital
At least ten percent (10%) of the stated capital must be paid-in in cash
at the time of incorporation. No minimum capital is required, except
According to the law, holders of preferred shares may have full voting
rights, no voting rights or voting rights restricted. The number of
preferred shares without the right to vote or with restrictions on the
exercise of such a right cannot exceed fifty percent (50%) of the total
number of shares issued by the S.A. The holders of preferred shares
with no voting rights or with restricted voting rights must be entitled
to certain financial rights, such as the priority:
3. Management
The bylaws of the S.A. must provide for an Internal Audit Committee
(Conselho Fiscal), which may be installed at a shareholders’ meeting.
The Internal Audit Committee is not mandatory, however if it is
installed, its annual report to the shareholders must be published
together with the financial statements of the S.A., except if the
conditions mentioned in the following item are complied with as well
as in other specific cases.
1. Quotaholders
2. Capital
3. Management
The Civil Code sets forth that the quotaholders’ decision shall be
taken in a meeting or assembly, as provided in the articles of
organization. The quotaholders’ assembly is required if the company
has more than ten (10) quotaholders, and a quotaholders’ meeting is
required for companies with up to ten (10) quotaholders.
1. Ownership
2. Capital
A minimum fully paid in capital equal to 100 (one hundred) times the
highest minimum wage in force is required upon incorporation. Any
subsequent capital increases must be fully paid in upon approval.
3. Management
Audit
Historically, the obligation of external audit of the financial statements
by an independent auditing firm was only applicable to Brazilian
publicly-held corporations (sociedade anônimas de capital aberto).
Nonetheless, after 2007, with the enactment of Law No. 11.638/07,
the external audit of the financial statements by an auditor registered
before the CVM (Brazilian Securities Exchange Commission) also
became mandatory for Large Size Companies.
Exchange Controls
Since the unification of the free rate and the floating rate exchange
markets in March 2005, the Brazilian Government, through the
Brazilian Monetary Council (“CMN”) and the Central Bank of Brazil
(“BACEN”), introduced new rules aimed at making the currency
exchange market simpler and the controls over such market more
flexible. Such changes included rules related to import and export
transactions, and inflows and outflows of funds of small amounts.
With respect to net worth accounts, the tax legislation provides that
the accounts which may be considered for calculation purposes
include reserves (in addition to contributed capital), but excludes fixed
assets revaluation, special monetary correction of fixed assets, and
real estate and intangible revaluation reserves.
Repatriation of Capital
As long as the foreign investment is duly registered with BACEN,
when the foreign investor sells shares or quotas in the Brazilian
venture or when the Brazilian company reduces its capital or is
liquidated, such foreign investment can be repatriated in the relevant
foreign currency. Such repatriation will be free of taxes up to the
amount of the relevant investment cost.
Indeed, the funds brought into Brazil under the terms of Resolution
4,373 are subject to registration with BACEN via an electronic
declaratory form. Furthermore, nonresident investors must, through
their Brazilian representatives, register with the CVM and keep it
updated.
The IOF rate levied on the exchange transaction necessary to bring the
foreign investments to Brazil is currently zero according to Decree
No. 8,325 of 7 October 2014. The return of the funds abroad resulting
from such investments remains subject to a 0% rate of IOF-Exchange.
Loans
Foreign loans, either in foreign or Brazilian currency, are subject to
registration with BACEN. Registration must be obtained through a
declaratory electronic registration system, the Registration of
Financial Operations (“ROF” - Registro de Operações Financeiras),
which must be carried out in the SISBACEN. The ROF sets forth the
main financial terms and conditions of the loan, and interest charged
on the loan may not be deemed excessive according to BACEN’s
policies in force at the time. Registration in the ROF must be
supported by a loan agreement or a statement of the foreign creditor
attesting to such terms and conditions. Once the ROF is issued, the
foreign lender is authorized to wire the funds to the borrower.
1
It is important to emphasize that the Special Tax Regime does not
apply in case the nonresident investor is domiciled in a low tax jurisdiction.
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1. commercial credits;
2. bank deposits;
3. loans;
4. financing transactions;
5. leasing;
7. portfolio investments;
I. Annually for:
I.1. Companies headquartered in Brazil that, on 31 December of the
preceding year had direct investment from nonresidents and had net
equity equal to or exceeding USD 100,000,000.00;
I.2. Companies headquartered in Brazil that were debtors of short term
commercial credits (payable in up to 360 days), which outstanding
balance on 31 December of the preceding year was equal to or greater
than USD 10,000,000.00; and
II. Every five years, with respect to all years ending with zero or five,
for:
Additionally, new treaties have been signed with Paraguay and Russia
that are still pending approval. With respect to the treaties with
Paraguay and Russia, the President must issue a presidential decree
introducing the treaties in the Brazilian legal system for the treaties to
become effective in Brazil.
Local Taxation
Historically, Brazilian tax regulations have remained complex.
Although the government is engaged in reducing and simplifying the
Brazilian taxation system, an extensive body of tax regulations still
applies at this time. This section summarizes the most significant
taxes that affect businesses in Brazil, as well as the major aspects of
Brazilian taxation of personal income, which affect nonresidents,
particularly expatriates.
4. Companies that could not have paid the income tax calculated on
a monthly and estimated basis
Law No. 11,638/07 and, later, Law No. 11,941/09 brought significant
changes to Law No. 6,404/76 (the “Corporations Law”), aiming at
aligning the Brazilian GAAP to IFRS standards. Nevertheless, Law
No. 11.941/09 established a special tax regime called “Transitory Tax
Regime” (RTT) in order to regulate the tax effects arising from the
alignment of the Brazilian GAAP to the IFRS standards.
According to the RTT, the new accounting standards should not have
tax effects in Brazil. Thus, taxpayers should apply the accounting
methods in force on 31 December 2007, to determine the basis for
calculating the IRPJ/CSLL through the reversal of the tax effects
determined due to the differences between the tax and accounting
treatments.
The new legislation makes clear that for the future, the profits that
should be used for calculating dividends should be the one calculated
according to Law No. 6,404/76 as amended (the new Corporations
Law). Law No. 12,973/14 has also provided that, for calendar years
2008 to 2013, the distributions of dividends calculated according to
the new Corporations Law in excess to the amounts that would have
been calculated under the accounting rules in force in 2007, will not
be subject to the WHT upon distribution.
Please note, however, that Law No. 12,973/14 is silent with respect to
dividends related to profits earned in 2014. In addition,
Normative Ruling No. 1,492/14 amended Normative Ruling
No. 1,397/13, including a provision expressly foreseeing that
dividends related to profits calculated in 2014, and distributed in
excess to the “fiscal profits” shall be levied WHT according to
progressive rates applicable to individuals. Therefore, the discussion
regarding the taxation of dividends remains unsettled with regard to
dividends related to profits earned in 2014.
Interest on Equity
Law No. 9,249/95 provides that a Brazilian legal entity can pay or
credit its equity holders interest on equity (IOE), provided that the
company has retained or current-year earnings. The IOE is an
alternative mechanism to transfer funds from a company to its equity
holders and, simultaneously, generate a deductible expense at the
company level. The total amount of interest that can be paid or
credited must not exceed 50 percent of the company’s retained or
current-year earnings. The basis for calculating the amount of interest
on equity includes reserves in addition to contributed capital, but
excludes fixed assets revaluation, special monetary correction of fixed
assets and real estate and intangible revaluation reserves. Law
12,973/14 specifically provided the net equity accounts that will be
considered for the purposes of IOE payment and these are as follows:
(i) corporate capital; (ii) capital reserve; (iii) profits reserve; (iv)
treasury shares; and (v) accumulated losses.
Nevertheless, Law No. 12,973/14 has also provided that, for calendar
years 2008 to 2014, the distributions of IOE based on the net equity
calculated according to the new Corporations Law would be
deductible (provided that the other limitations provided in the
legislation are complied with).
Please note that the legislation expressly allowed the payment of IOE
based on the new accounting rules, free of WHT, including the year of
2014, differently from dividends.
The 25 percent rate for payment of services does not apply to interest
on loans and other types of payments that are not classified as services
The tax basis for the CSLL is net income specifically adjusted for
CSLL purposes.
Similar to the IRPJ, there are basically two methods in calculating the
taxable profits for CSLL purposes - the actual profits method and the
presumed profits method. Under the actual profits method, taxpayers
may opt to calculate CSLL on a quarterly or annual basis. In the latter
case, monthly payments must be made on an estimated basis. Law No.
9,316/96 provides that the CSLL is no longer deductible from net
income for purposes of calculating IRPJ.
In the actual profits method, the negative basis of CSLL (tax loss for
CSLL purposes) can be used to offset taxable income from subsequent
periods, although only limited to 30 percent of the taxable income of
the period. Similar to tax losses for IRPJ purposes, the negative basis
of CSLL may be used to offset future taxable income without statute
of limitations.
1. Supply of technology
Law No. 12,485/11 provided for new triggering events for the
CONDECINE contribution. According to the referred law, further to
the abovementioned, the contribution is levied on: (i) the provision of
services that might distribute, effectively or potentially, conditioned
audiovisual contents and (ii) the placement or distribution of
8. Return of goods
These credits can be used by the company to reduce the PIS and
COFINS levied on revenues derived from subsequent transactions.
This non-cumulative system does not apply to: (i) the cooperative
organizations; (ii) immune or exempt companies; (iii) companies
taxed by income tax based on the presumed profit method;
(iv) corporate entities in the SIMPLES tax regime; and (v) revenues
derived from telecommunications, call center, telemarketing and
software related services and other specific activities. Pursuant to Law
No. 10,865/04, the taxpayers that are subject to higher tax rates
pursuant to the single-phase system of the PIS and COFINS, such as
With respect to the tax basis of the PIS and COFINS under the
cumulative system, paragraph 1 of Article 3 of Law No. 9,718/98,
which enlarged the PIS and COFINS tax basis, was revoked by
Law No. 11,941/09. Such revocation was triggered by the decisions
rendered by the Federal Supreme Court, which determined that the
enlarged tax basis of the PIS and COFINS was unconstitutional when
it required the inclusion of “non-operational” revenues in the
PIS/COFINS tax basis for companies under the cumulative regime.
Finally, it should be noted that Law No. 12,973/14 has changed the
concept of “gross revenues” for the calculation of the PIS and
COFINS under the cumulative system. Accordingly, the “gross
revenues” for such purposes is now defined as: (i) the results of the
sale of goods in the company’s own account; (ii) the price of the
provisions of services in general; (iii) the result derived from
operations on behalf of third parties; and (iv) revenues derived from
the activity or main purposes of the company that are not comprised in
items i to iii. This definition has broadened the previous definition of
gross revenues by including items “iii” and “iv.”
PIS/COFINS - Import
Moreover, Law No. 10,865/04 introduced the taxation of PIS and
COFINS on imported goods and services. This law determines that
PIS and COFINS are due on imports of foreign goods into Brazil and
on the payment, credit, delivery, use or remittance of amounts to
nonresidents as payment for the services supplied.
• Importation of goods:
• Importation of services:
Import Duty
An import duty (II) is due upon customs clearance of imported
products on an ad valorem basis. The rate varies, depending on the
tariff classification of the product imported. Imports are also subject to
the PIS/COFINS-Import (as described above) and to the IPI and ICMS
(as described below). These taxes, along with II, are calculated as
follows: the II is levied on the CIF value of the imported product, the
IPI is levied on the CIF value plus II, and the ICMS is levied on the
CIF value plus II, IPI and ICMS itself.
Excise Tax
The federal excise tax (IPI) is a federal value-added tax levied on
industrialized products as they leave the plant where they are
manufactured. The IPI is also due on imported industrialized products
upon importation and resale by the importer. IPI rates may vary
depending on whether the type of product is regarded as essential or
not.
ICMS rates and tax benefits vary from state to state and depend on the
type of transaction (e.g., intrastate or interstate sale of goods,
communication or transportation services, etc.). Currently, the
ordinary rates in the State of São Paulo are: (i) 12 percent on
transportation services; (ii) 18 percent on products imported, sold or
transferred; and (iii) 25 percent on communication services.
The rates for credit transactions granted to legal entity shall be subject
to a maximum rate of 1.50 percent, plus an additional rate of
0.38 percent, which results in a maximum rate of 1.88 percent. For
individuals, the maximum rate shall be 2.99 percent, plus the
additional 0.38 percent, which results in a maximum rate of
3.37 percent.
In addition, for credit transactions where the term for repayment of the
credit is not determined, the IOF-Credit applies at a tax rate of
0.0041 percent for entities or 0.0082 percent for individuals
automatically multiplied by 365 days in case of credits granted to
legal entities and individuals, plus an additional rate of 0.38 percent,
which results in the 1.88 percent or 3.37 percent rate.
Pursuant to the Complementary Law No. 116, the ISS Law, the ISS
shall be levied not only on services rendered in Brazil, but also on
“importation of services,” which refer to services originating overseas
or those initiated abroad. In such cases, each municipality may set
forth in the relevant municipal law that the recipients or agents of the
services in Brazil are responsible for collecting the tax due.
Complementary Law No. 116 also sets forth that the export of services
abroad shall not be subject to ISS, except for services developed in
Brazil and whose results also occur in Brazil, even if the payer is a
foreign resident.
Visas
Beginning 1 January 1999, temporary visa holders have been
considered residents for tax purposes from the moment they enter the
The duration of the time period for this visa begins on the day the
foreigner enters Brazil, independent of the calendar year. The days
counted are only those days spent within the country, interrupted upon
the moment of exit from the country and recommenced upon return.
2
As of April 2016.
80 Trench Rossi Watanabe
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BRL5 million; (ii)17.5 percent over gains that exceed BRL5 million
but do not exceed BRL10 million; (iii) 20 percent over gains that
exceed BRL10 million but do not exceed BRL30 million; and (iv)
22.5 percent over gains that exceed BRL30 million.
Transfer Pricing
Transfer pricing rules have applied in Brazil since 1 January 1997,
when Law No. 9,430/96 came into force. The system adopted is one
that determines the maximum amounts of deductible expenses and the
minimum amount of taxable revenues for Brazilian entities engaged in
transactions with related parties established outside of Brazil or cross-
border transactions that are deemed “controlled” under Brazilian laws.
General Aspects
The following parties are deemed as related parties of the taxpayer for
transfer pricing purposes:
• The legal entity domiciled abroad when such an entity and the
Brazilian taxpayer are under common corporate or
administrative control or when at least 10 percent of the capital
of each entity is owned by the same person or legal entity
The transfer pricing rules also apply in case of transactions carried out
by an entity domiciled in Brazil through an interposed party (“third
party”) not considered a related party to the extent that such
interposed party deals with another party abroad who is considered a
related party of the referred Brazilian entity.
3
The Ministry of Finance reduced the percentage to 17% for the countries,
dependencies and regimes that are aligned with the international standards of
fiscal transparency, in the terms to be defined by the Brazilian Federal
Revenue Department, notwithstanding the observance of the other conditions
provided by Articles 24 and 24-A of Law No. 9,430/96.
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4
Please refer to footnote 3.
5
Please refer to footnote 3.
Trench Rossi Watanabe 85
not perform substantive economic activity) 6; and (vii) Switzerland
(legal entities in the form of holding company, domiciliary company,
auxiliary company, mixed company and administrative company
subject to a combined corporate income tax rate lower than 20 percent
or any other corporate legal forms which, by means of rulings issued
by the Swiss tax authorities, are subject to a combined corporate
income tax rate lower than 20 percent).
For identical goods, services and rights, Treasury Ruling No. 1,312/12
permits adjustments related to the following:
• Payment conditions
• Quantities negotiated
6
Executive Declaratory Act No. 10/10, which suspended on 25 June 2010,
the inclusion of the Netherlands in the list of holding companies that do not
perform substantive economic activity, was revoked by Executive
Declaratory Act No. 3/15 on 21 December 2015.
86 Trench Rossi Watanabe
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• Packaging
The resale price less profit method can be utilized in two scenarios:
(i) when the imported goods, rights or services are consumed in
further manufacturing or production process or (ii) when the imported
goods, rights or services are re-sold exactly as imported. The resale
price less profit method (RPM) is defined as the arithmetical average
of resale prices of goods (in Brazil) less the following:
b) Tobacco products
a) Chemical products
d) Metallurgy
This method is defined as: (i) the average production cost of goods,
services or rights, either identical or similar, in the country where they
have been originally produced, and (ii) the taxes levied on exports in
such a country and a markup of 20 percent, calculated over the
production cost. The following items can be computed in the
(production) cost for purposes of this specific method:
The methods described in this item and in the following items apply
only when the average export price to related parties is lower than
90 percent of the average sales price in the Brazilian market with
unrelated parties. In other words, in case the export price does not
reach the 90 percent of the average sales price in the Brazilian market,
the taxpayer is, in principle, subject to one of the four methods
provided in the transfer pricing rules for export transactions. Note that
commodities are obliged to adopt the PECEX method.
Average Price of Export Sales Method (Treasury Ruling No. 1,312/12, Article
30)
Exchange Export Price - PECEX (Treasury Ruling No. 1,312/12, Articles 34,
35 and 36)
Market penetration
In other words, for agreements executed until 2012, the interest paid
or credited to related companies or under the other transactions subject
to the transfer pricing rules should be deductible based on the interest
rates registered before the Brazilian Central Bank. If such agreements
were not registered, the interest should be deductible up to the amount
not exceeding the value calculated based on the London Interbank
Offered Rate (LIBOR) for deposits made in dollars from the
United States of America for a six-month term, plus a 3 percent
annual spread.
The spreads over the parameter interest rates have been disclosed by
the Ministry of Finance in Ordinance No. 427/2013. According to its
Article 1, for the loan transactions in which the Brazilian company
pays interests to a foreign-related party, a 3.5 percent spread over the
parameter rates may be considered to determine the maximum amount
of deductible interest expenses as of 1 January 2013.
In addition to the “Safe Harbor” for exports, when the average export
price to related parties is lower than 90 percent of the average sales
price in the Brazilian market with unrelated parties, the legislation
provides for other “Safe Harbors.” However, these other
“Safe Harbors” cannot be characterized as perfect “safe harbors,”
particularly because the tax authorities have the power to not accept
the amount of revenues recognized by the taxpayer in accordance with
those “safe harbors.”
• The taxpayer that, before the provision of income tax and social
contribution on net income, has a minimum 10 percent net profit
on its total export net revenues to related parties can demonstrate
its compliance with the transfer pricing rules only with the
documents of the export transactions with related parties. The
10 percent net profit must be calculated based on the annual
average profit of the current year and the two precedent years.
The referred “safe harbor” only applies when the net revenues of
exports to related parties are higher than 20 percent of the total
export net revenues. In the calculation of the net profit
corresponding to these exports, the costs and expenses common
to all sales shall be shared according to the respective net
revenue. The calculation of this safe harbor cannot encompass
sales transactions of rights, goods or services whose profit
margin has already been changed through a formal request for
ruling with the Ministry of Finance. Note that, before the
enactment of Treasury Ruling No. 1,312/12, the “safe harbor”
percentage was 5 percent and there was no obligation that the
net revenues of exports to related parties be higher than
20 percent of the total export net revenues. Those previous rules
are only applicable until 2012 and, as of 1 January 2013, the new
rules described above must be applied.
• The taxpayer whose export net revenue in the calendar year does
not exceed 5 percent of its total net revenue in the same period
may demonstrate its compliance with the transfer pricing rules
with the export documents only.
As mentioned above, these safe harbors are not perfect as they only
shift the burden of proof to the tax authorities to demonstrate that the
prices are not arm’s-length.
Supporting Documentation
Informative Return
Taxpayers must file their annual income tax return and, consequently,
their information related to transfer pricing according to the periods
established every year by the Federal Revenue Services regulations.
For calendar year 2016, filing was up to the last business day of June.
For goods, services and rights imported from a related party, the
taxpayer must prove that the corresponding costs, expenses and
charges do not exceed the maximum deductible expenses under
at least one of the three methods set forth by transfer pricing
regulations. Otherwise, the tax authorities may challenge the
exceeding deduction. The exceeding amount shall be added back as
taxable income and will thus be subject to corporate income tax at the
rate of 15 percent plus a surtax of 10 percent. The 9 percent social
contribution on adjusted income (CSLL) also applies on the exceeding
amount.
Penalties
In case the taxpayer decides to pay the overdue tax before the
corresponding tax assessment, the penalty is 0.33 percent per day
limited to 20 percent. However, if during a tax investigation the tax
Reductions
The new rules of thin capitalization are divided in two kinds: (i) rules
applicable to transactions with related parties, except for transactions
with parties subject to a privileged tax regime or domiciled in low tax
jurisdictions and (ii) rules applicable to transactions under a privileged
tax regime or carried out with parties domiciled in low-tax
jurisdictions.
the fiscal year for purposes of calculating the corporate income taxes
if they cumulatively meet the following requirements:
For purposes of the calculation of the total debt funding, every form
and term of financing must be considered by the Brazilian company,
regardless of the registry of the contract with the Brazilian Central
Bank.
In case any excess is verified in what concerns the limits set in items I
and II above, the exceeding interest will be considered an unnecessary
and non-deductible expense in the calculation of the corporate income
taxes.
In case any excess is verified in what concerns the limits of this case,
the exceeding interest will be considered an unnecessary and non-
deductible expense in the calculation of the corporate income taxes.
One of the most relevant news introduced by the new regulations was
the clarification of the calculation of total indebtedness, as well as the
calculation of the net equity value for the purposes of application of
the deductibility limits.
The Treasury Ruling also clarifies that incurred and unpaid interests
should be computed as total indebtedness in the calculations. It also
clarifies the treatment applicable to mergers, acquisitions, spin-offs,
dissolutions and liquidations.
Additionally, only the days spent within the country count towards the
90-day period. Thus, the business visa's 90-day period will begin on
the date the foreigner enters Brazil, and the count will stop when
he/she leaves Brazil, to resume upon his/her return.
Temporary Work Visas (main types)
If a longer stay is necessary, a temporary visa and work permit may be
available for foreigners entering Brazil to work for a Brazilian
company, either under an employment agreement or pursuant to a
technical assistance agreement. Unless otherwise noted, the
temporary visa under an employment agreement is valid for up to two
years, with the possibility of converting into a permanent visa. A
temporary visa for the provision of technical assistance is valid for up
to one year, renewable for an equal period, unless specified differently
by agreement or by specific regulations concerning certain types of
temporary visas.
The rules that govern applications for permanent working visas also
refer to permanent visas for members of the board of directors of a
Brazilian company.
After arriving in Brazil under the proper work visa, the applicant has
up to 30 days to apply for a Brazilian identity card, the National
Registry of Foreigners, usually referred to as RNE or CIE, taxpayer
registration number, and labor card (when applicable).
Competition/Antitrust Laws
Legislation and Scope. On 29 May 2012, Law No. 12,529/11 came
into force (the “Brazilian Competition Act" or "BCA") and brought
significant changes to the antitrust regulations, in particular with
respect to the structure of the relevant agencies and to the rules for
merger notification.
The BCA sets forth that any conduct of which the object is or has the
potential to create one of the following anti-competitive effects is an
antitrust violation: (i) limiting, distorting or in any way hindering
competition, (ii) dominating a relevant market for goods/services, (iii)
arbitrarily increasing profit; and (iv) abusively exercising a dominant
position. These conducts may involve restrictions directed either to
players who are active in the same relevant market of the offender(s)
(horizontal restrictions) or to players active in markets vertically
related to the market in which the offender holds a dominant position
(vertical restrictions).
Pursuant to the BCA, not only are companies liable for wrongdoing,
but managers, officers and other entities within the same group of
companies involved in the violation may also be deemed responsible.
7
For complex cases, the Superintendence-General can recommend imposing
restrictions, which are decided by the CADE Tribunal (composed of seven
commissioners). Clearance decisions by the Superintendence-General can be appealed
to the Tribunal by third parties, or reviewed by the Tribunal upon a request from one
of the Commissioners.
Maximum review period is 330 days (calendar): 240 days for the
"regular analysis" with a possible 60-day extension (at the request of
the parties) or a 90-day extension (by decision from the authorities).
Should the authorities not issue a final decision within the 330-day
period, the transaction is automatically cleared (although this is not
expressly provided in the BCA, it has been the position of the
authorities so far). There is a fast-track procedure in place for
reviewing transactions that have no or very little possibility of causing
competitive harm, such as: (i) classic or cooperative joint ventures; (ii)
substitution of an economic agent; (iii) low market share (less than
20% of the horizontal overlap or less than 30% of the market share in
the vertically integrated markets); and (iv) low market share increase
(provided that the combined market share is not higher than 50%).
The fast-track procedure is applied at the authorities' discretion;
CADE’s internal regulation establishes a 30 calendar day period to
review these cases – any delay must be reported and justified to
CADE’s President.
Apart from fines, CADE may also: (i) publish the conviction decision
in major newspapers, at the wrongdoer’s expense; (ii) debar
wrongdoers from participating in public procurement procedures and
obtaining funds from public financial institutions for up to five years;
(iii) include the wrongdoer’s name in the Brazilian Consumer
Protection List; (iv) recommend that tax authorities block the
wrongdoer from obtaining tax benefits; (v) recommend that the
intellectual property authorities grant compulsory licenses on patents
held by the wrongdoer; and (vi) prohibit individuals from exercising
market activities on his/her behalf or representing companies for five
years. CADE may also order a corporate spin-off, transfer of control,
sale of assets or any measure deemed necessary to cease the harmful
effects associated with the anti-competitive behavior.
Exclusivity of Representation
The sales representative is afforded with exclusive rights within a
certain territory, zone or selected clients, as defined in the agreement,
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Indemnification
The termination for convenience by the principal of a sales
representative agreement, without any of the causes set forth in Law
No. 4,886/65, requires that the principal pays an indemnification to
the sales representative calculated in accordance with the term of the
agreement - that is, either a definite or an indefinite term.
In such a case, the indemnification applies for all the period that the
sales representative mediated business to the principal including
precedent agreements.
Commission
In Brazil, it is quite common that the commissions of the sales
representatives are established as a percentage of the sales price as set
forth under the relevant invoice. Law 4,886/65 provides that the
commissions should be paid upon the total amount of the invoice
(including applicable taxes).
Distributors
Distributors who purchase products and resell them in their own name
and for their own account are not afforded with the specific protection
of Law No. 4,886/65, as amended by Law No. 8,420/92. Instead, they
are solely ruled by the Brazilian Civil Code, with certain exceptions
such as the distribution of vehicles, as explained below. Under
deliberations now before the National Congress is the Bill of Law No.
7,477/2014, which aims to rule the resale relationship and distribution
of manufactured products between suppliers and distributors. This bill
follows some principles similar to the ones that apply to sales
representatives as mentioned above, benefiting resellers and
distributors in a level wider than the current legislation.
Regulatory Bodies
The main banking regulatory bodies in Brazil are the CMN and the
CVM. The Central Bank enforces CMN’s monetary policy and is in
charge of supervising all financial institutions.
6. Crisis management
In other words, CVM has among its objectives: (i) the assurance of the
proper functioning of the securities exchange and over-the-counter
markets; (ii) the protection of all securities holders against fraudulent
issues and illegal actions performed by company managers,
controlling shareholders or mutual fund managers; (iii) the prevention
of any kind of fraud or manipulation that may give rise to artificial
price formation in the securities market; (iv) the assurance of public
access to all relevant information about the securities traded and the
companies that have issued them; (v) the insurance that all market
participants adopt fair trading practices; (vi) the stimulation of the
formation of savings and their investment in securities; and (vii) the
promotion of the expansion and efficiency of the securities market and
the capitalization of Brazilian publicly held companies.
Regulatory Environment
It is possible to identify, within the Brazilian regulatory environment,
a trend to improve regulatory efficiency, based on the growing
sophistication of supervision models and tools, in addition to the
increasing adherence to international standards of compliance such as
the ones established in the Basel Principles.
a. Granting loans
Under Laws No. 4,728/65 and No. 6,385/76, brokerage firms are
authorized to deal at the Brazilian Stock Exchange with listed
securities and other negotiable instruments. These companies may be
established as corporations or limited liability companies, and operate
as intermediary parties in the said transactions. As such, they can,
among other things, perform the following:
These companies are also subject to Laws no. 4,728/65 and no.
6,385/76. Their main business is the subscription of securities issued
for resale or distribution. Thus, they act as intermediaries in the
placement of public offerings and in the distribution of securities.
Their business is similar to that of brokerage firms, and according to
the Joint Decision of CVM and CMN No. 17/2009, issued on
2 March 2009, the DTVMs are now able to directly deal at the stock
exchange. The organization and operation of such companies are set
forth in CMN Resolution No. 1,120/86, as amended. They may be
organized as corporations or limited liability companies.
Corporate Structure
A foreign financial institution may have presence in Brazil by means
of any of the following:
1. A representative office
Representative Office
The representation within Brazil of a financial institution or similar
entity with headquarters located in a foreign country is regulated by
CMN Resolution No. 2,592/99 and Central Bank’s Ruling (Circular)
No. 2,943/99. Accordingly, such representation depends on the
Central Bank’s previous authorization, which is granted on a
For purposes of such request, the foreign entity must present to the
Central Bank information on the controlling group, as well as attest to
the relevance of the project for the Brazilian economy. The
Central Bank makes a deep analysis of the foreign investor, requesting
Correspondent Banks
Pursuant to CMN’s Resolution No. 3,954/2011, as amended, Brazilian
financial institutions may contract companies or certain kinds of
entrepreneurs, including both members and non-members of the
National Financial System, to render the following services on their
behalf:
Operational Requirements
The Central Bank imposes certain operational rules on financial
institutions, including on the following aspects:
1. The period during which bank agencies may remain open to the
public
Bank Secrecy
Financial institutions shall maintain the confidentiality of all
information regarding their clients and respective transactions. Client
information may be disclosed only upon judicial order or as required
by law. Various measures have been adopted to lift such secrecy rules
for criminal investigations and law enforcement. The main regulation
on bank secrecy is Complementary Law No. 105 of 2001.
The same law creates the Council for the Control of Financial
Activities (Conselho de Controle Atividades Financeiras- COAF, as
defined above), an agency subordinated to the Ministry of Finance
that is responsible for the regulation and investigation of transactions
suspected of money laundering. The COAF has the power to impose
administrative penalties. Law No. 12,683/2012 broadened the number
of individuals and legal entities that are obliged to inform suspicious
activities to COAF. Some entities such as stock exchanges,
commodities exchanges, derivative exchanges, banks, securities
brokers and dealers, insurance companies and factoring companies
shall pay special attention to suspicious transactions vis-à-vis money
laundering rules and shall inform the COAF of transactions that
violate money laundering laws. Moreover, any transaction conducted
with those entities involving assets that can be converted into currency
exceeding BRL10,000 shall be reported to the COAF. The Central
Bank has published specific rules regarding money laundering
prevention.
In order to clarify certain aspects and grant the Circular No. 3,461/09
more effectiveness, the Central Bank issued on 11 February 2010, the
administrative act (Carta-Circular) No. 3,430/2010.
Although they are part of the SPB and are subject to licensing by the
Central Bank, payment entities are not financial institutions. As a
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matter of fact, they are prohibited from engaging in activities reserved
for financial institutions.
Until Law 12,865/2013 and relevant ruling came to force, credit cards
services were not subject to the regulation or supervision of any
Brazilian authority. However, credit cards are currently subject to
such regulatory framework.
Charge cards are issued under banking accounts and can be used to:
(i) obtain cash at automated teller machines, for exclusive or shared
use, and (ii) make payments upon showing the card at accredited
commercial establishments that have proper equipment for Electronic
Funds Transfer from the Point of Sale (EFTPOS).
Energy
The Power Industry
Unlike other infrastructure industries in Brazil, the power industry
began in the late 1800s as a private investment. It was not until the
early 1950s, due to a postwar nationalization wave, that the sector
became predominantly state-owned. In the mid-1990s, the Brazilian
federal and state governments carried out one of the world’s largest
privatization programs in the power sector, and all restrictions on
foreign investment were lifted. In the early-2000s, after an energy
crisis, the regulatory framework was significantly altered, especially
the rules relating to power procurement and trading (Law 10,848). In
the 2010s, the federal government introduced new rules aimed at
reducing the end tariffs and imposing conditions for the renewal of
expiring concessions (Law 12,783 of 2013). The new rules were not
well received by the market and inhibited private investment. On the
top of that, a rain shortage caused a price hike which washed out the
2013 tariff reductions.
8
A small hydroelectric plant (“PCH”) is a hydro plant with an installed
capacity higher than 5 MW and equal to or lower than 30 MW, with a total
reservoir area of up to 13 km².
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Regulatory Overview
The Brazilian Constitution grants the federal government power to
legislate on energy matters, as well as ownership rights over
hydropower resources 9. Conversely, the Constitution requires that
9
Article 176 of the Brazilian Constitution.
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federal, state and municipal governments render certain services to the
public, including the supply of electricity. The power to explore
energy resources and the responsibility to supply electricity may be
delegated by the government to private entities. Such delegation is
generally granted and regulated by concession / permission contracts
and authorization deeds (see chapter on Concessions).
10. Decree 5,163 of 2004, which provides the rules for energy
trading;
13. Law 12,783 of 2013, which introduced rules for the renewal
of concessions and reduction of end-user tariffs;
18. Decree 9,192 of 2017, which introduced rules for public bid
of power distribution and transmission concessions related to
change of control of the concessionaires directly or indirectly
controlled by the Federal Government, States or
Municipalities.
The key entities of the industry are the National Energy Council
(Conselho Nacional de Política Energética), the Ministry of Mines
and Energy, the Energy Research Company (Empresa de Pesquisa
Energética), ANEEL, the Chamber for Trading of Energy (Câmara de
Comercialização de Energia Elétrica or “CCEE”) which manages
both the regulated and unregulated markets, the National Grid
Operator or “ONS”, responsible for dispatching and general grid
operations, and the Electric Industry Monitoring Committee (Comitê
de Monitoramento do Setor Elétrico or "CMSE"), responsible for
(among others) monitoring and ensuring the continuous supply of
electricity.
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Along with other duties, ANEEL must implement the federal
government’s electric energy policies and directives, as well as
provide and enforce industry regulations in connection with antitrust
restrictions, tariffs, quality standards and transmission fees. Through
cooperation agreements, it may delegate inspection and enforcement
powers to local (state) agencies.
Trading Energy
Electricity is negotiated under the rules of either the “Regulated
Contracts Framework” (ACR in the Portuguese acronym) or the
“Unregulated Contracts Framework” (ACL in Portuguese).
Under the ACR, one sells electricity that public utility distribution
companies use to supply their end customers. Except for specific
cases as mentioned below, the distribution companies cannot acquire
electric energy outside the ACR. The sale of electric energy under the
ACR is made through public bidding conducted by ANEEL or by
CCEE, if so delegated by the former. The winning bidder will execute
a power purchase agreement with the distribution companies
connected to the Brazilian grid. ACR contracts must be fully
regulated.
Under the ACL, one sells electric energy to “free” customers through
bilateral contracts freely negotiated. Because distribution companies
are not allowed to purchase from the ACL (except as provided below),
the volume of energy to be freely traded is limited.
Power purchase agreements under both the ACR and ACL must be
registered with the CCEE.
Environmental Controls
Any business activity which may cause harm to life and the
environment is subject to environmental controls (see chapter on
Environmental laws). Under existing regulations, the construction of
power plants with a capacity greater than 10 MW requires the
submission and approval of an environmental impact report
In addition, one should note that any activity or project intended for
the use of environmental resources, with a potential or effective
polluting capacity or that may harm the environment, is subject to
prior environmental license 10. The main common licenses in Brazil
are (i) Previous License, (ii) Installation License and (iii) Operation
License.
Distribution
Distribution companies (concessionárias de serviço público de
distribuição) are entities awarded with a concession or permit to
provide electricity to the end-user. The rights and obligations arising
from the concession / permit are set forth in a concession / permission
contract (see chapter on Concessions).
10
Complementary Law No. 140 of 2011.
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provided by law. In consideration for such monopoly, the distribution
companies must observe certain obligations, mostly focused on public
interest, such as rendering services on a regular, efficient and safe
basis; expand the company’s business; and observe quality standards.
1. ACR-regulated contracts;
IPPs and self-generators are not granted monopoly rights and are not
subject to price controls, with the exception of specific cases. The
IPPs compete with public utilities and among themselves for large
customers, pools of customers of distribution companies or any
customers unattended by a public utility. Project sponsors and lenders
should pay particular attention to the intricacies of current laws when
negotiating or reviewing project documentation. In addition to the
above-mentioned authorization deed, the rights and obligations of
IPPs are stated in the power purchase agreements (PPAs) they execute
with customers. Except for ACR contracts, PPAs do not follow a
specific standard, and the regulatory framework is not as organized
and thorough as it is in other countries with project financing
background. Nevertheless, certain important terms may be secured
through the proper use of our codified contract law and the
construction of existing industry principles.
3. alternative sources.
Public auctions for "new energy" projects 11 shall supply the projected
additional requirements of the distribution companies. The PPAs shall
have a term of 15-35 years and the delivery of energy must start
within three to seven years. The hydrologic risks may be assumed
either by the generator, in the case of “contracts for energy
quantities”, or by the distribution companies with a pass-through of
costs to end customers in case of “contracts for availability of energy”.
In the event of rationing, the contracts for energy quantities shall have
their amounts adjusted in the same proportion as the applicable
rationing restrictions.
Public auctions for "existing energy" projects shall supply the current
requirements of the distribution companies. The PPAs shall have a
term of 1-15 years and the energy supply shall start in the same year
or until the fifth year following the auction, except for those occurring
in years 2004, 2005 and 2007, which contracts allowed generators to
start delivery of energy within a maximum of five years. These
contracts are defined as “contracts for energy quantities” in which the
hydrologic risks are assumed totally or partially either by the
generation company or by the buyer, being entitled to the transfer the
tariffs to the final consumer.
11
Applicable law defines "new energy" projects as the ones that, at the time
of the relevant public auction, do not possess a license or are expanding their
existing capacity.
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explore energy sources primarily for their own consumption may
organize themselves in the form of a consortium or a special purpose
company. If they organize a special purpose company, the
shareholders will be entitled to enjoy the discount attributable to self-
generators, in the proportion of the lower of (a) the portion of energy
used by the shareholder for its own consumption and (b) the equity
participation in the special purpose company.
Transmission
Given the unique features of hydropower, most plants in Brazil are
interconnected with regional transmission systems and are subject to
the control of their respective dispatch by the ONS, which is
responsible for the dispatch, scheduling and planning of the
generation, as well as the coordination and management of the
transmission grid. Such interconnection/ coordination allows power
plants be part of energy pools through which they can trade excess
capacity, and thus, reduce waste. Most of the country’s territory is
connected into a National Interconnected System (SIN), which serves
98.3% of Brazil’s generation capacity.
(ii) another for the use of the transmission lines of the grid
(Contrato de Uso do Sistema de Transmissão or CUST), also
by paying the usage fees established by ANEEL. Other
connection contracts may also be needed, depending on the
ownership of the transmission facilities.
The exploration of the transmission line system was also opened to the
private sector through the grant of authorization for operation and
maintenance. The purpose of the authorization is two-fold: to expand
the national market’s supply capacity and to allow industry agents free
access to the Brazilian transmission grid.
Consumers
Even though Law 10,848 contains guidelines and general references to
the principle of “reasonable tariffs” (modicidade tarifária), as well as
to the limits of cost pass-through, customers generally bear the costs
of electricity procurement, including regulatory charges and taxes.
Furthermore, the costs associated with the acquisition of back-up
capacity and the contracts for “availability of energy” (through which
generators will be paid regardless of the actual delivery of energy to
the system) will also be borne by the end users. They will also bear
the costs of the CDE charge, which will be included in the distribution
and transmission fees 12, as well as ESS charges 13.
12
CDE charge’s purpose is to subsidize competitiveness of alternative energy
providers, namely wind power, PCHs, biomass, among others; promote
universal access to electricity in the national territory; ensure the
enforceability of the "reasonable tariffs" principle to the poor section of the
population; provide funds to the Fuels Consumption Account; provide
resources and allow the amortization of financial operations in connection
with either the indemnity resultant of the return of the concession after its
term or the "reasonable tariffs" principle; cover the costs of fuels in
thermoelectric power plants in order to foster competitiveness; provide funds
in order to compensate discounts applied to tariffs in accordance to the
current regulation; and provide funds to compensate the effect of the non-
adherence to the extension of the generation concessions.
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Article 28 of Law 10,848 contains the principle which ensures “equal
treatment” between regulated and “free” (unregulated) customers as
far as regulatory charges are concerned. This principle may turn out
to be an important tool to protect customers.
**If the energy originates from small hydro plants (PCHs) or renewable sources.
The free customer must report its load requirement to the Government
and must contract all of such load, and may be financially exposed in
case of deviations. It must execute CCT/CCD and CUSD/CUST
13
The ESS charge is paid by the large consumers and are aimed at covering
the costs of dispatch of thermoelectric generators.
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connection agreements and pay for connection fees. It must also join
the CCEE.
Consortia
Investors may form a consortia to generate electric energy under the
IPP or self-generator regimes, subject to applicable regulation.
Ports
Introduction
In Brazil, the federal government has a constitutional monopoly over
the exploration of sea, river and lake ports (Brazilian Federal
Constitution article 21, XII, “f”). Ports may be operated either directly
by the federal government or by third parties by means of federal
granting or delegation. Such granting or delegation usually takes the
form of “concessions” or “authorizations”. Some port operations have
been delegated to state and municipal governments, while others are
the responsibility of the so-called “dock companies” (Companhias
Docas), which are controlled by the federal government (each being
deemed a “port authority”). Private parties may operate port terminals
and other port facilities under specific government granting, as further
described in this chapter.
Law 12,815/13 ("Ports Act") sets the regulatory framework of the port
industry. Decree 8,033/13 regulates the Ports Act.
Institutional Framework
The institutional framework of the industry is rather complex,
composed of several governmental and non-governmental bodies,
sometimes assuming concurrent roles and not always complying with
a clear hierarchical order. Generally, the industry is ultimately subject
to the federal government either directly or via the relevant regulatory
agency.
The Ports Act concentrates most powers with the federal government.
In past years the powers were exercised by the Special Ports
Department (Secretaria Especial de Portos), created in 2007.
However, as a result of a restructuring of the federal ministries in
2016, the Ministry of Transport, Ports and Civil Aviation ("MTPAC")
was created and the Special Ports Department was replaced by the
National Ports Department (Decree 9,000/17).
Other important bodies include customs, the navy, including the coast
guard, health and sanitation authorities, municipal governments, and
environmental agencies.
Change of Control
On 5 March 2015, the former Special Ports Department regulated the
procedure for prior authorization to change of control and transfer of
lease or concession agreements (Ordinance No. 50/2015).
Airports
Legal Framework
Pursuant to the Brazilian Constitution, the federal government has
powers to explore airport infrastructure, directly or by delegation to
third parties, by means of authorization, concession or permission
(Article 21, XII, c).
Privatization
Investments in Brazilian airport infrastructure have increased in the
past few years. Passengers and cargo demand growth in Brazilian
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On the other hand, under the terms of the Brazilian Aeronautics Code,
airport concessionaires are subject to paying the Civil Aviation Tax
(TFAC), for administrative activities related to review, approval and
record-filing.
15
Brazil is a member of the Southern common market established in
Asuncion, Paraguay in 1991.
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Penalties for such crimes are severe and may include restrictions on
freedom (i.e., imprisonment and confinement) and rights (e.g.,
rendering services to a community, temporary limitation of rights,
temporary loss of authorization or license, interruption of activities,
etc.), and fines (ranging from BRL50 [approximately USD25] to
BRL50 million [approximately USD25 million]). In certain cases,
penalties restricting freedom imposed on individuals may be replaced
by those restrictive to rights. For legal entities, the following sanctions
might be applicable in an isolated, cumulative or alternative manner:
(i) fines; (ii) restrictive penalty of law or (iii) service to the
community.
Scope
Most of the existing federal laws address the following aspects of the
environment:
Water
Recently, due to the low levels of rain and water reserves that most
regions have been facing, the use of water has become an important
issue for public policies and has impacted all sectors of the economy,
especially agriculture and industry. As a result, the use of a great
amount of water has been requiring the elaboration of detailed
planning and additional investments from companies.
The federal law also obliges certain manufacturers, retail sellers and
service providers to prepare a solid waste management plan to become
part of the environmental licensing proceeding of the relevant activity.
Please refer to Item 7 for further details on this policy.
Air pollution
Federal laws and some state laws establish air quality and emission
standards, taking into account the concentration of atmospheric
pollutants that may affect public health, safety and the environment.
CONAMA Resolution No. 05/89 sets the National Air Quality
Monitoring Program (“PRONAR”). This program provides for
primary and secondary air quality standards and classifies different
regions of the country in order to prevent deterioration. Class I areas
are those with pristine air quality and which should have no air quality
impact, Class II areas must be limited by secondary air quality
standards, while Class III regions must comply with primary air
quality standards.
In case the referred intervention values for soil and/or groundwater are
exceeded, the company responsible for the site shall engage in
remediation activities.
Federal Law No. 12,305/10 provides for the reverse logistic system
designed for several industries of production of certain goods, such as
agrochemicals, batteries, tires, lubricant oils, fluorescent lamps and
electrical and electronic equipment. Pursuant to the reverse logistic
system, manufacturers, importers, retailers and distributors of such
products shall implement the system taking into consideration their
obligation to receive used products by consumers and provide the
environmentally sound final disposal of the wastes. Federal Decree
No. 7,404/10 regulates the abovementioned federal law and details the
obligations regarding the reverse logistic system, among other
provisions.
The law did not revoke former rules regarding the take-back
requirements, such as Federal Decree No. 4,074/02, which was
enacted on 4 January 2002. It even regulates: (i) Federal Law No.
7.802/1989, which establishes take-back requirements for packages
containing toxic fertilizers; (ii) CONAMA Resolution No. 401/08
(altered by Resolution No. 424/10), which establishes criteria and
standards for the adequate environmental management of batteries
containing mercury, cadmium and lead commercialized in Brazil; and
(iii) CONAMA Resolution No. 416/09, which requires manufacturers
and importers of tires to collect and properly dispose of tires that are
no longer in use and which establishes that for each new traded tire,
manufacturers and importers must provide final disposal to one,
among others.
BIO-SAFETY
Federal Law No. 10,257/01 (the City’s Ordinance Law) refers to the
basic policy on the use of urban land. This subject was first regulated
by the Federal Constitution (Articles 182 and 183), which determines
that the policy of urban development, executed by the Local Public
Authority, aims to command the development of the social functions
of the city and guarantee the welfare of inhabitants.
Environmental Audits
16
Available at http://www.cvm.gov.br/. Administrative Proceeding CVM No.
RJ 2009/6346, Decision of CVM’s Director, Mr. Otavio Yazbek.
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17
CVM Normative Ruling No. 409/04 will be replaced by CVM Normative
Ruling No. 555/14, which will come into force on 1 July 2015, and provides
for the same dispositions.
18
The PROINFA was launched in Brazil by Federal Law 10,438 of
April 2002, as amended by Federal Law 10,762 of November 2003. It was
organized by the Ministry of Energy and Mines and foresees the purchase of
3,000 MW of renewable energy.
Trench Rossi Watanabe 181
relevant areas and the development of an updated energy policy,
among other policies.
19
Besides the Amazon biome, the Brazilian territory has the Caatinga,
Cerrado, Mata Atlântica, Pampa and Pantanal biomes.
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Due to its continental area and untouched forests, Brazil stands as the
main player in the REDD+ market. Several initiatives are already in
place in the private and public sector. As an example, the government
Consumer Protection
Consumer protection in Brazil has its basis in the Federal Constitution
and in federal, state and municipal legislation. The main rule
applicable to consumer protection matters is the Consumer Protection
Code (CDC - Federal Law No. 8.078 of 1990) and its regulations.
The scope of liability for suppliers and the standards for consumer
protection in Brazil are, in some cases, more severe than the consumer
rules applicable in developed nations.
Scope
The CDC addresses the following aspects of consumer relations:
1. Principles
The CDC has as its main principle the recognition of the vulnerability
of consumers, which means that consumer protection rules were
created in order to balance the relationship established between the
supplier and the vulnerable party - the consumer. With this approach,
Other consumer principles brought by the CDC are: (i) education and
information of consumers and suppliers; (ii) repression of abusive
practices in the consumer market; and (iii) support for the creation, by
suppliers, of alternative means of dispute resolution.
The basic rights listed above are applied by judges and administrative
authorities in order to grant consumers rights and/or apply penalties
against companies in case of non-compliance with the CDC.
Consumers also have their health and safety protected and, in view of
this, suppliers are considered liable for any damage caused to
consumers brought about by defects of products or services. In this
case, consumers have a five-year term to file lawsuits against
suppliers in view of damages caused to them.
4. Commercial practices
4.1 Advertisement
5. Contracts
Some examples of abusive clauses as given by law are: (i) those that
prevent, exempt or reduce suppliers’ liability for defects of any nature
in their products and services; (ii) those that transfer responsibility to
third parties; (iii) those that determine the compulsory use of
arbitration; and (iv) those that make it possible for the supplier to
directly or indirectly change the price unilaterally, among others.
6. Criminal infractions
Federal Law No. 8,137/90, which defines crimes against the tax and
economic systems, also provides for crimes against consumer
relations, establishing penalties such as imprisonment from two to five
years and/or fines. Some examples given by this law are: (i) selling or
exposing for sale goods that are not in compliance with legal
requirements or that do not fit their official classification and (ii)
selling or storing product with improper conditions for consumption.
Such laws list the authorities that share common jurisdiction to file
collective lawsuits on behalf of the society. These authorities are the
district attorney offices, public defenders, the federal state, states and
municipalities and entities of public administration created to protect
diffuse rights, in general. Associations that protect diffuse rights also
share such jurisdiction.
Most of the public civil actions filed in Brazil were and are initiated
by federal or state district attorneys’ offices. In these cases, district
attorneys initiate civil inquiries prior to filing public civil actions, in
order to evaluate whether the supplier has caused damage to
consumers or not. In the civil inquiry procedure, companies usually
have the opportunity to present the appropriate information regarding
the investigation.
20
Interested parties include entrepreneurs, employees, suppliers, consumers,
the community and the government.
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21
Ethos Institute launched a new version of its social responsibility indicators
in 2012, and had intended to reformulate it and launch the third generation of
indicators by 2013.
Trench Rossi Watanabe 195
internal public; (iii) environment; (iv) suppliers; (v) consumers and
clients; (vi) community; and (vii) government and society.
There are other initiatives that are directly related to the promotion of
Social Responsibility goals, such as: (i) Millennium Development
Goals (MDGs) created by the United Nations - UN and (ii) the United
Nations Global Compact, which is a strategic policy initiative for
businesses that are committed to aligning their operations and
strategies with 10 universally accepted principles in the areas of
human rights, labor, environment and anti-corruption.
Telecommunications
Introduction and Current Topics
Privatization of the Brazilian telecommunications sector began in
1995, following liberalization movements in several countries. This
took place also because of the understanding that the federal
government would not be able to make investments to keep up with
the emerging technology. Privatization was made possible due to an
amendment in the Brazilian Constitution (Amendment No. 8 dated 15
August 1995), which allowed private entities to invest in and provide
telecommunications services under licenses granted by the federal
government. Amendment No. 8 also called for a new law to set the
telecommunications’ industry’s general rules, including the creation of
a sector-specific regulatory agency (the National Telecommunications
Agency – ANATEL, created by Law No. 9,472, of 16 July 1997 – the
“General Telecommunications Law”).
22
Source: http://www.anatel.gov.br/Portal/exibirPortalInternet.do# (visited
on 23 March 2015).
Trench Rossi Watanabe 197
indicated that investments of nearly BRL19 billion could be made by
2016, for the relevant infrastructure. 23
23
Source: http://www.mc.gov.br/telecomunicacoes-noticias/30908-
crescimento-do-setor-exige-investimentos-em-redes-aponta-ministro (visited
on 23 March 2014).
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The Brazilian Congress has some power over the agency, derived
mainly from its capacity to change legislation and mobilize public
opinion. The Congress’ interest in the regulatory agency’s work is
increasing, and thus, the creation of further monitoring instruments is
expected.
Licenses
Operators need licenses to engage in any form of telecommunications
services, which are defined as the set of activities enabling the
offering of transmission, emission or reception of symbols, characters,
signals, writings, images, sounds or information of any nature by wire,
radioelectricity, optical means or any other electromagnetic process.
Such licenses are non-exclusive and are granted by the federal
government, through ANATEL, and may be classified as a
concession, an authorization or a permission.
Concessions
Authorizations
Authorizations are granted for services where the public interest is not
of critical importance and, accordingly, no universal service and
continuity obligations are present. In the case of authorizations, prices
are usually not controlled. Most telecommunications services today
are rendered under this type of license, including the SMP, satellite
services, corporate networks, as well as the competitive segment of
fixed telephony.
Permissions
Licenses Transfer
The country is divided into regions and different tariffs are established
for each region in view of the socioeconomic conditions/disparities in
the country. The agency is responsible for supervising the tariffs
charged by the operators of services offered under the private regime.
Tariffs for fixed-line service provided under the public regime are
previously established in the concession contract and so is the
calculation method for adjustments/updates of the tariff amount.
Connection Network
Interconnection Service
Satellite Communication
The license to operate satellites is granted by means of an
authorization. Use of foreign satellites in Brazil is only permitted if
such use is negotiated by a representative of the foreign operator
established under Brazilian laws, with headquarters and administration
in the country. The authorization is usually granted for a term of 15
years, renewable for an equal period.
Number Portability
Users of telecommunication services are free to keep their access
codes for any service when moving to a different service provider.
Because of that, operators must make available the technological
resources to allow users to keep their access codes, if they so wish,
when changing to a different operator.
In November 2008, a new PGO was enacted. The main change was
that the same group of companies would be allowed to control
concession-holders in up to two Regions of the PGO. This opened the
way for a government-backed merger of two fixed-line incumbents
(i.e., Oi and Brasil Telecom) that are active in different Regions,
which would not have been allowed under the previous PGO.
Mobile and Cellular Phone Service
Voice over IP is a technology that uses the Internet (or private Internet
Protocol networks) to allow voice communication – and so it is not
exactly a telecommunications service. Considering that ANATEL
does not regulate technologies, but only the telecommunications
service itself, ANATEL would generally not regulate VoIP.
Nevertheless, given the debates as to the nature of VoIP, ANATEL
classifies VoIP into two different groups, which are as follows:
Broadcasting Services
Broadcasting services are defined at law as those which are freely and
directly delivered to the public as a whole. It includes radio and
television broadcasting. Currently, radio and TV networks are mostly
under private ownership, but some public entities also control a few
networks. Broadcasting is not under the jurisdiction of ANATEL. It is
Before the new pay TV law (Law No. 12,485/11) was enacted,
pay TV was generally identified as “mass communications services,”
and there were different regulations according to the technology used
to provide such services (e.g., DTH, MMDS, cable). Upon the
enactment of the new pay TV law, one single regulation for pay TV
was created, and all mass communications services must gradually
migrate to the “conditioned access service” and comply with the
applicable regulation, as pay TV has now been identified at law.
The new pay TV law has imposed certain local content quotas (both
on programmers and on operators) and has opened the pay TV market
subject to certain cross-ownership restrictions between the producers
of content (i.e., broadcasting companies, producers and programmers)
and telecommunications companies.
Market Description
The Industry Generally
Industry Associations
24
For the sake of completeness, the CONDECINE existed prior to the
pay TV law and was levied on the exploitation of audiovisual works. Upon
the enactment of the pay TV law, a CONDECINE was created for pay TV
operators.
Trench Rossi Watanabe 211
Public Tender, Concession of Public Services in
Brazil and Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs)
This chapter provides an overview of the regulations that apply to
public tender procedures in Brazil; the main rules on concession of
public utility services for a number of industries, such as oil and gas,
power, roads, mining, water sewage, waste treatment, and
telecommunications, among other industries; and those related to
Public and Private Partnerships.
Public Tender
The Public Procurement Law and State Controlled Companies Statute
do not define “public tender.” Nevertheless, case law is unanimous in
understanding that public tender is a procedure by which the Public
Administration is bound to evaluate, pursuant to the objectives and
previously established guidelines and criteria, the largest number of
alternatives possible for any given contract to be entered into with a
private company or individual.
g. assessment procedures;
i. administrative sanctions;
The Public Procurement Law and the Concession Law convey one of
the most important principles in Brazilian Public Law, which is
“equality among bidders.” Nevertheless, this does not prevent the
Public Administration from establishing minimum participation
requirements, provided they are necessary to guarantee performance
of the contract, security and perfection of the work or service,
regularity of supply, or any other criteria of public interest, in
accordance with the provisions of the Public Procurement Law.
The private contracting party’s rights are also clearly assured by the
Public Procurement Law. In case of termination for cause attributable
to the Public Administration (as listed in items XII to XVII of Article
78 of the Public Procurement Law), to which the contracted party has
not contributed, the latter will be reimbursed for the losses actually
incurred, without prejudice to the devolution of guaranties, payment
for works executed up to the termination date, and payment of
stoppage costs (Article 79, Paragraph 2 of the Public Procurement
Law).
In this sense, protecting the private economic rights set forth by the
economic and financial equilibrium of the contract may occur in the
following situations: (i) economic burdens generated due to the use by
the Public Administration if its power to unilaterally modify the
Contract (i.e. extension of the contract); (ii) economic burdens caused
by the Public Administration resulting from actions performed by
other governmental agencies and authorities (i.e. elevation of taxes by
the Public Administration); and, (iii) economic burdens resulting from
unforeseeable facts produced by other forces than the contractual
parties (i.e. an extraordinary increase in the price of materials used in
a construction project).
The Public Procurement Law is, therefore, in line with the provisions
of Article 175 of the 1988 Federal Constitution, which state that the
The difference between the new types of concessions and the common
concession, which continues to exist according to the rules mentioned
above, is in the payment and remuneration by the Public
Administration to the private entity. Therefore, when the concession
does not involve any remuneration from the Public Administration, it
will not be a PPP contract, but a common concession.
The law also establishes limits for contracting Public and Private
Partnerships, setting forth that it is not allowed to execute contracts:
One of the main innovations brought by PPP Law was the creation of
a USD 3 billion Guarantor Fund (composed of shares of public and
private companies, real estate, money, etc.). Such fund guarantees
that the public sector will duly pay its assumed obligations, by hiring
the private sector. Its assets will serve to guarantee possible collection
actions filed against the contracting Public Partner.
Insurance
The insurance business in Brazil is regulated mainly by the Civil Code
enacted in 2002 and laws some of which passed in 1966-1967, which
delegated regulatory authority to:
The “base capital” is formed by a fixed portion (of R$ 1.2 million) and
a variable portion based on the operating region. The variable portion
changes according to the region/states where the company has been
authorized to operate. The base capital that an insurer must have to
operate in all Brazilian regions is R$ 15 million.
Normative rules of the CNSP and SUSEP set forth that, save for
authorized agents and direct marketing sales, the attraction of potential
customers for new insurance coverage may be performed only by
brokers licensed and registered with SUSEP, or by a preposto
(delegate) of the broker duly empowered by him and also registered
with SUSEP.
performing its activities in its country of origin for at least five years;
(ii) have net equity not lower than one hundred million United States
Dollars; (iii) have a solvency evaluation granted by a rating agency
acceptable to SUSEP in the minimum levels mentioned in Article 13,
III of Resolution 330/2015; (iv) have a power-of-attorney granted to
an individual residing in Brazil, for purposes of receiving service of
process and notices, the delegation of such powers being expressly
forbidden; (v) have evidence that the laws in force in its country allow
the movement of freely convertible currencies, for purposes of
complying with reinsurance commitments abroad; (vi) have a foreign
currency bank account in Brazil with a bank authorized to perform
exchange transactions, as security for its transactions with SUSEP,
with at least: (a) US$5,000,000 (five million US dollars) to do
business is all lines of reinsurance and (b) U$1,000,000 (one million
US dollars) for life reinsurance; and (vii) provide SUSEP with its
financial accounts.
Legal entities may hire insurance abroad for the coverage of risks
located abroad, upon the communication to the Brazilian insurance
inspection authority within 60 (sixty) days as of the beginning of
effectiveness of the risk.
Employment Relations
The basic rules governing legal relationships between employers and
employees in Brazil are set forth in the Federal Constitution and the
Brazilian Labor Code (Consolidação das Leis do Trabalho).
The Brazilian Labor Code generally regulates all aspects of the labor
relationship. It is supplemented by labor and social security laws, and
collective bargaining agreements.
In Brazil, after the Labor Reform Law came into effect (Law No.
13,467/2017), claims involving labor matters are decided in labor
courts and/or by arbitration (applicable exclusively to employees with
compensation exceeding twice the social security contribution cap;
and who executed at his/her own initiative or express consent an
arbitration clause observing Arbitration Law requirements).
Employment Relationships
The Brazilian Labor Code defines “employee” as an individual
rendering services to a company or individual on a regular basis,
under the direction of such company or individual, for compensation.
Brazilian courts consistently recognize the existence of an
employment relationship whenever those elements are evidenced,
whether or not a written employment agreement exists.
Having said that, if one of the companies of the economic group fails
to comply with its labor obligations, the labor courts may require
another company of the group with enough assets to pay the labor
debts, based on the principle that all companies of the same economic
group are a “single employer”.
Note that after the Labor Reform Law came into effect, the existence
of a common shareholder is not enough to trigger the recognition of an
economic group, and it is now required to evidence an integrated
business interest, actual common interest and joint actions of the
companies.
The work hours must not exceed eight hours daily and 44 hours
weekly (although collective bargaining agreements and the company's
policies/practices may provide a more generous condition). Between
two work days there must be a minimum interval of at least 11
consecutive hours for the worker to rest.
Profit Sharing
The 1988 Federal Constitution provides that Brazilian employees are
entitled to participate in the profits of their employers. Law No.10.101
of 19 December 2000 regulates the procedures and requirements that
must be met by Brazilian companies to implement a plan for the
employees’ share in the profits or results of the company. Note that
some believe that this law is not mandatory, since it does not provide
penalties in case of non-compliance. On the other hand, if a company
intends to create a plan, it must comply with Law No. 10.101, under
the penalty of the payments made under the plan being considered as
part of the employees’ compensation, and, thus, subject to labor and
social security charges.
Law No. 10,101 does not set forth strict rules for calculating the
amounts payable to employees or even a minimum pre-established
amount payable to employees.
Probation Period
Under Brazilian labor law, an employer may hire an employee for a
probationary period in order to observe whether this employee has the
appropriate skills. The maximum probationary period is 90 days, or
Term of Employment
Employment agreements are generally in force for an indefinite term.
As an exception, an employee can be hired for a probationary period
of up to 90 days, provided that such term is agreed upon in writing (as
indicated above). The employee may also be hired under a fixed-term
agreement to perform services or activities of a temporary nature, in
which case the employment is valid for only two years.
Part-time Employment
Part-time work can be contracted up to a maximum of 25 hours per
week. Compensation for part-time employees must be proportional to
that of other employees working full time (i.e., 44 hours per week) in
the same function.
Please note that termination with cause is only possible if the fault
committed by the employee is listed in the Labor Code, which sets
forth a very strict list of possibilities.
• Pro rata Christmas bonus (also called “13th month salary”) equal
to one-twelfth of the employee’s monthly compensation per
month of employment, or a fraction thereof at least equal to 15
days, starting 1 January to the day of termination;
Once the former employee files the lawsuit within the two-year term,
he/she may claim labor rights for the last five years.
Note that once a settlement is ratified before a Judge (in case of the
request above mentioned or if a lawsuit has been filed), in principle,
individuals cannot go back and claim the difference between the
settlement payment and any unpaid labor right.
Social Security
According to Social Security Legislation, all employees working in
Brazil must be covered by the “INSS” - social security system.
(*) Note that the SAT rate shall be multiplied by the so-called
Accident Prevention Factor (“FAP”), which varies from 0.5 a 2.00
depending on the risk involved on the company activities.
The rate of the other social contributions mentioned above will depend
on the company’s main activity.
Outsourcing
Outsourcing or independent contracting by the company of a service
or activity to a third party must be carefully carved out of the typical
employment relationship. Two recent pieces of legislation (Law no
13,429/2017 - the Outsourcing Law and the Labor Reform Law) are in
place and will most likely overrule current labor precedents that
authorized only the outsourcing of non-core activities. In this sense,
Labor Reform proposed additional amendments to the Outsourcing
Law including the express possibility of outsourcing any activities,
including primary ones.
Unions
The Federal Constitution deals with the creation of unions between
employers and employees. In Brazil, certain unions represent the
employees and some unions represent the employers. Employers and
employees are represented by their respective unions in matters
involving collective employment relations. The employees, regardless
of their position and/or affiliation with the union, are entitled to the
labor benefits granted in the Collective Bargaining Agreement
negotiated between the employers and the employees’ union for that
specific economic category.
Real Estate
In Brazil, Law No. 10,406, dated 10 January 2002 (the “Brazilian
Civil Code”), generally governs the rights associated with immovable
properties.
The Brazilian Civil Code divides assets into two different categories:
(i) movables (i.e., personal property) and (ii) immovable assets. The
immovable assets category encompasses land, together with its
surface and all accessions, construction and improvements, attached to
or forming part of the land, the air space above the land and the
subsoil. Waterfalls, mines and products from the subsoil are
considered separate assets from the land. The exploitation of mineral
resources and hydroelectric power are subject to authorization from
the federal government, according to the Brazilian Federal
Constitution.
Acquisition of properties
In Brazil, the transfer of title to a property occurs only upon
registration of the act that transferred the same or the rights thereto
with the relevant Real Estate Registry Office. For registration
purposes, every property must be registered at the specific Real Estate
Registry Office having jurisdiction over the area in which the property
Securities
The most common form of securities used by lenders in Brazilian real
estate transactions are mortgages and bank guarantees.
other words, for the expenses necessary to maintain the structure and
safety of the real estate).
1. The correct and timely payment of the rent, charges, duties and
ordinary condominium fees, whenever applicable
2. The use of the real estate according to the purpose set forth in
the agreement
3. The return of the real estate at the term of the lease in the same
condition the tenant received it, with the exception of regular
wear and tear
Furthermore, the tenant shall give the landlord notice of any damage
or defect, which falls under the landlord’s obligation to repair.
When a commercial lease exceeds five years, the tenant: (i) has the
right to apply for an automatic renewal of the lease (if some
conditions are met, such as maintaining the intended use of the leased
In case of the sale of real estate, the tenant has the legal right of first
refusal, as provided by law. If the tenant does not exercise such right
of first refusal, the new owner of the real estate property shall only
observe the effectiveness of the agreement under the following
conditions:
The law also provides for different types of collateral that the landlord
may request as a security for the tenant’s compliance with the
agreement (unless the rent is paid in advance). Following are the most
commonly requested securities:
The law does not permit more than one type of collateral for the same
lease agreement. Non-compliance to such rule is subject to the penalty
of nullity.
During the term of the lease, the landlord may not demand
repossession of the property except in the following instances:
3. The tenant does not pay the rent and other duties
The tenant, however, has the right to terminate the lease before its
term, subject to the payment of the contractual penalty established by
the parties on a pro rata basis, taking into account the elapsed term of
the agreement. In the event of an expropriation of the property by
public authorities, the landlord and the tenant may both seek
indemnification from the expropriating authority, unless otherwise
provided under the lease agreement.
According to the new rules, the landlord and the tenant may freely
agree to waive their rights to review the rent amount after three years
of the lease term among other business conditions that shall be valid
and enforceable between the parties in view of the high investments
involved in built-to-suit agreements.
4. The specific lease between the landlord and the individual tenant
The Brazilian legal framework had to adapt to this new “open market”
reality. In 1997, a series of institutional bodies were put in place to
oversee all oil-related activities and enforce national regulations. More
importantly, the government chose a concession regime as a vehicle to
involve its new industry partners. All these innovations were
introduced by the enactment of Law No. 9.478/1997, which is now
widely known as the Petroleum Law.
25
The city of Brasília is the Federal District and also the capital of Brazil.
Trench Rossi Watanabe 265
The concessionary regime was beneficial from an industry
perspective. The country’s indigenous production jumped from
1,268,000 barrels daily in 2000 to 2,400,000 bbl/d in 2015. Moreover,
ANP’s Statistical Yearbook 2016 states that, at the end of 2015, 790
areas were granted to national and international oil companies. These
areas are currently divided as: 348 blocks under exploration; 71 fields
under development; and 371 fields already in production.
Enactment of Law No. 12.351/2010 was based on the premise that the
government should have more control over the wealth generated by
the “pre-salt” exploitation. It accordingly amended the Petroleum Law
to create a production sharing regime, in parallel with the concession
structure. All previous contracts were respected and Brazil now has a
mixed system whereby production sharing agreements will regulate
E&P activities in “pre-salt” and other strategic areas, and the
remaining territory will still be managed through the granting of
concession rights.
The companies which win the bids must submit to ANP all
qualification documents set forth under the Bid Invitation, which aims
at qualifying companies from a technical, legal and financial
standpoint. Each member of a consortium must qualify individually,
but specific requirements apply to operators and non-operators.
The last bid invitation used the following criteria to award marks to
the candidates: i) signature bonus, equivalent to 40%; ii) local content,
equivalent to 20%, of which 5% is reserved to the exploratory phase
and 15% to development phase; and iii) minimum work program,
equivalent to 40%. Thereafter, the marks awarded to the successful
applicants are published, as are short particulars of the concession
agreements signed with the winning candidates.
For the upcoming bid rounds under the concession regime, the
Government is expected to implement several improvements to the
draft bid invitation and concession agreements to boost attractiveness
for investors, such as removing the local content as an awarding
criteria, reducing the minimum net worth requirement for non-
operators and differentiating royalty rates for mature areas.
Also, based on the new rules, the penalties for non-compliance with
Local Content obligations contemplated by the relevant agreements
were reduced from up to 100% to 75% of the value of the difference
between the commitment made by the oil company and the actual
local content percentage achieved. However, based on the new policy
companies will no longer be authorized to request the ANP for
In April 2014, ANP enacted Resolution No. 21/2014 which sets forth
the technical and environmental requirements for concessionaires
authorized to explore and produce unconventional Natural Gas
resources using the horizontal fracking technique.
Midstream
Gas field exploration and production is also regulated by ANP and
must follow the same regime applied to oil corresponding activities.
The federal government enacted Decree No. 7.382/2010, which
regulates Law No. 11.909/2009 (“Gas Law”). Since enactment,
natural gas transportation activities are to be generally performed
under a concession regime, always preceded by a public bidding
process.
The Decree also states that MME is responsible for identifying the
transport gas pipelines that must be built or expanded. In order to
fulfill this responsibility, the minister must prepare, with the support
of the Energy Research Company (EPE) and ANP, Brazil’s Decennial
Plan for Expansion of the Transport Gas Pipelines.
Although it was expected that the decree would clarify some aspects
of the Gas Law, it left many aspects under ANP’s regulatory control.
Some worth mentioning include: i) the definition of delivery point and
reception point; ii) the end of the exclusivity period due to the pipeline
reaching its maximum capacity; iii) the regulation of the operational
exchange (swap) and new fees resulting from it; iv) fees to be paid by
loaders; v) evidence of technical capacity for foreign companies to
participate in public bids; vi) performance indicators of the concession
contract; vii) authorization to expand the capacity of existing
pipelines; and viii) requirements and conditions for granting and
transfer of ownership of the authorization of processing units or
treatment of natural gas.
On the other hand, the industry is still waiting for the 1st Bidding
Round for construction of gas pipelines in Brazil, since ANP, after
TCU's decision in December 2015, suspended the process for
allegedly overpricing the project. Subsequently, in August 2016 ANP
decided to cancel the auction to choose a company to construct a gas
pipeline between the cities of Itaboraí and Guapimirim.
Amongst the 19 directives that will guide the new natural gas policies,
we highlight the stimulation of competition, the removal of economic
and regulatory barriers, the development of short-term and secondary
markets, and the promotion of integration between the sectors of
natural gas and electric energy, targeting a balanced allocation of
risks, adequacy of the natural gas supply model for thermoelectric
generation and the gas integrated planning-electricity.
Downstream
Any company may submit a proposal to ANP to operate or to
construct refineries or natural gas processing units. It is important to
highlight that this authorization may only be granted to companies or
Environmental aspects
Brazilian environmental policy is implemented at federal, state and
municipal levels. The Federal Environmental Protection Agency is the
Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Renewable Resources
(Instituto Brasileiro do Meio Ambiente e dos Recursos Naturais
Renováveis - IBAMA). IBAMA is responsible for implementing
environmental policy at the federal level, which includes issuing
certain rules (to specify general rules enacted by the National Council
of Environment), inspecting environmental activities and conducting
environmental licensing proceedings. States and some Municipalities
have their own environmental protection agencies which are
competent to enact laws and rules that must be observed within their
respective territories. Environmental licensing may also be conducted
by State and Municipal environmental agencies, as established by law.
Tax Aspects
a) General Overview
Companies engaged in the oil and gas industry must pay all
mandatory Brazilian taxes applied to any other industry.
This section aims to summarize the most significant tax aspects that
may particularly affect oil and gas companies.
In order to develop the oil and gas industry, the Brazilian Government
enacted Decree No. 3,161 of 2 September 1999, providing a special
customs regime known as “REPETRO.” This regime was intended to
provide oil and gas exploration and production companies with access
to listed equipment with a reduced tax burden, provided that the
customs value of the equipment exceeds USD 25,000 per item. It also
aims to offer local suppliers favorable conditions vis-à-vis foreign
equipment.
Brazilian legal entities may qualify for the REPETRO regime if: (i)
they hold the rights to explore and research oil and gas fields
(“concessionaires”); or (ii) they were contracted by an oil and gas
concessionaire, or its subcontractors, to perform services or to time-
charter vessels for the execution of such activities. If the service
contractor or the charterer is domiciled abroad, it can appoint a
Brazilian legal entity to act as importer of record for REPETRO
purposes.
The following are among the benefits granted by Convenio ICMS No.
130/07:
26
Convenio ICMS No. 58, of 28 October 1999, authorizes the Brazilian
states and the federal district to grant ICMS reductions or exemptions levied
on imports of assets into Brazil under the temporary admission regime in
general.
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exploration and production installations, within or outside the
state territory in which the manufacturer is located.
More recently, however, the Federal District has been excluded from
Convenio ICMS No. 130/07 27, and the State of Rio de Janeiro
suppressed all ICMS benefits granted to the oil and gas industry
through the enactment of Legislative Decree No. 2/2016.
27
Convenio ICMS 100/16.
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The bonded warehouse regime also applies to oil rigs and rig modules
that are notionally exported from Brazil - i.e., whenever these assets
are acquired by a foreign buyer, without leaving the Brazilian
territory, and are delivered by order of such foreign buyer to the legal
entity contracted to carry out their construction or conversion, the
payment must be made in convertible currency.
The international trade system, established under the WTO and other
international agreements, has a direct impact on: (i) virtually all trade
in goods; (ii) the international provision of services, including
distribution, telecommunications and financial and professional
services; and (iii) the protection of intellectual property rights.
28
Paraguay’s membership has been suspended since June 2012.
29
Bolivia is in the process of becoming an effective Mercosur member.
30
The membership of Guyana and Suriname is still pending ratification.
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Aside from the free trade zone with its MERCOSUR partners,
Brazilian imports and exports benefited from significant preferences
contracted with Mexico, Bolivia, Cuba, Chile, Peru, Colombia,
Venezuela and Ecuador, which provided Brazil with a privileged
position among the best countries as the region to invest in the import-
export business.
Over the past few years, MERCOSUR has been involved in several
diplomatic initiatives toward the signing of relevant international trade
agreements, such as the negotiations with the European Union, India
and South Africa, aside from the hemispherical efforts to create a free
trade zone in the Americas.
The last stage encompasses the submission of the final opinion drafted
by SECEX/DECOM for the review of the Trade Protection Technical
Group (“GTDC”), a task force created under the auspices of the
Brazilian Chamber of Foreign Commerce (“CAMEX”). CAMEX,
which is in charge of formulating policies and coordinating activities
related to foreign trade, will then issue a final decision as to whether
or not a provisional or definitive anti-dumping duty or countervailing
measure may be imposed.
Trade remedies are efficient tools that may be used by the private
sector in Brazil as a competitive advantage to hinder the increase in
imports that jeopardizes its market share in the national market. Two
of the benefits of trade remedies are: (i) guaranteeing market presence
at a national level and (ii) protecting investments related to the entry
into this market.
If the tax, including its fines, is paid before the criminal lawsuit is
initiated, or if the taxes are considered undue/improper, the criminal
lawsuit will be immediately dismissed.
(iii) Sanctions
The sanctions set forth in the Anti-Corruption Law are harsh and
include:
Administrative sanctions:
1. fines ranging from 0.1% to 20% of the gross revenue of the legal
entity in the fiscal year (which in Brazil is the calendar year)
prior to the administrative proceedings being initiated, excluding
taxes, which will never be less than the advantage obtained,
using estimates when possible; and
If it is not possible to use the criteria of the value of the gross revenue
of the legal entity, the fine will range from BRL 6,000.00
Judicial sanctions:
Strict Liability:
Successor Liability:
The Anti-Corruption Law sets forth a list of factors that will be taken
into consideration in applying sanctions, which include: the
seriousness of the offense; the advantage gained or sought; whether
the offense was fully or partially completed; the level of damages; the
negative effects produced by the offense; among others. Decree No.
8,420/2015 sets forth objective criteria, based on those factors, to
determine the calculation of the fine - including aggravating
circumstances and mitigating factors. For instance, if a company has
an effective compliance program in place it may be entitled to a
reduction of between 1% to 4% on the calculation of the applicable
fine.
III. the legal entity admits its participation in the offense and
fully and permanently cooperates with investigations and the
administrative proceeding, always attending, at its own
expense and whenever requested, to all procedural acts, until
finalized.
The leniency agreement does not exempt the legal entity from its
obligation to redress damages caused. However, it will reduce the fine
by up to two-thirds, and will exempt the legal entity from publication
of the condemnatory decision and from prohibitions on receiving
incentives, subsidies, grants, donations or loans from public agencies
or entities and from public financial institutions or institutions
controlled by the Government, from one to five years.
I. Tone at the top: According to the CGU, this means that top
management should support compliance initiatives and include
them into corporate culture;
III. Profile and risk analysis: The CGU’s guidelines stress that a
compliance program must be preceded by a profile analysis of
the company, including assessing the market segments it
operates in, the number of employees, the level of interaction
with public agents, among others. The company should also
proceed with a detailed risk assessment;
Training
Considering that most of the prohibited acts set forth in law are related
to public tender and public contracts, to comply with the Anti-
Corruption Law, companies should intensify training in those areas.
These measures are important because often employees from
companies commit wrongdoings not only because they are not
familiar with the law but also because they do not know how to react
in certain situations.
As legal entities can be liable for prohibited acts set forth in the Anti-
Corruption Law committed by any third party, perpetrated for their
interest or benefit, exclusive or not, it is fundamental for companies to
take the necessary precautions in order to assure that they have
relationships with reputable partners. In this context, implementing of
an effective anti-corruption due diligence process on third parties, as
well as continual monitoring of their activities, is extremely important
to reduce risk.
Internal investigations
The chart below compares the key features of the FCPA, UK Bribery
Act and Brazil's Anti-Corruption Law:
Bribery of
Yes Yes Yes
foreign officials
Bribery of local
No Yes Yes
officials
No Yes for No
"failure to
Strict liability
prevent
bribery"
Anti-
bribery
violation:
up to USD
2 million
per
Up to 20% of
violation /
company's gross
Accounting
revenue of the
Corporate fines violation: Unlimited
previous year or up to
up to USD
BRL 60 MM (approx.
25 million
USD 19.2 MM)
per
violation.
Twice the
benefit
obtained or
sought
Yes
(can be full
Yes defense for
Credit for Yes
(U.S. corporate
compliance (1-4% reduction in the
Sentencing offense of
programs fine)
Guidelines) "failure to
prevent
bribery")