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Selling consumer goods in Brazil

In Brazil, consumer products must not carry risks beyond the normal and foreseeable, and must give clear information in Portuguese under the Consumer Defence Code. Products INMETRO regulates need conformity assessment and its seal. Pre-packaged goods declare their quantity under INMETRO's metrology rules. Toys, electrical goods, textiles, cleaning products and kitchenware have their own guides.

Updated · Each section links to the official source it comes from

General law
Consumer Defence Code (Código de Defesa do Consumidor), Law 8.078/1990
Label language
Portuguese (Article 31)
Technical regulation
Conmetro and INMETRO, under Law 9.933/1999
Mark
INMETRO conformity seal, for regulated products
Quantity marking
INMETRO Portaria 249/2021
Liability
Manufacturer, producer and importer, regardless of fault

Before a product goes on sale

The questions to answer, in the order they usually come up.

  1. 1Is the product covered by rules with their own guide, such as toys, electrical goods or textiles? Read more
  2. 2Does INMETRO regulate it, needing certification, registration or the seal? Read more
  3. 3Does the pack give the Portuguese information the Consumer Defence Code requires? Read more
  4. 4How is the quantity declared on the pack? Read more
  5. 5What happens if a danger is found after sale? Read more

The rules, by area

What each area covers, the texts that set it, and what the official pages say.

Products with their own guide

Where a more specific regime applies, it is covered in its own guide.

  • Toys follow INMETRO's Portaria 302/2021, with certification and registration: see the toys guide.
  • Household appliances follow INMETRO's Portaria 148/2022, and telecommunications products ANATEL's certification and homologation: see the electrical and electronics guide.
  • Textiles follow INMETRO's Portaria 118/2021, and footwear Portaria 459/2025: see the clothing, footwear and textiles guide.
  • Cleaning products are saneantes under ANVISA's RDC 989/2025: see the cleaning products guide.
  • Kitchenware follows ANVISA's RDC 91/2001, and metal cookware INMETRO's Portaria 499/2021: see the kitchenware guide.

How we help: Compliant Always works out which of these regimes applies to your product and keeps the documents behind each one ready. Ask about this

Safety and information under the Consumer Defence Code

The general duties on safety, information and liability.

  • Products may not carry risks to health or safety beyond those considered normal and foreseeable; for industrial products, the manufacturer gives the information in printed material that comes with the product (Article 8).
  • A supplier that learns of a danger after the product is on the market must inform the authorities and consumers immediately, including by advertisements (Article 10).
  • The manufacturer, producer, builder and importer answer for damage caused by defects, regardless of fault, including insufficient or inadequate information on use and risks (Article 12).
  • Products carry correct, clear, precise and prominent information in Portuguese on characteristics, qualities, quantity, composition, price, guarantee, expiry, origin and risks to health and safety (Article 31).
  • Selling products that do not follow the rules of official bodies or, where none exist, of ABNT or another Conmetro-accredited body, is an abusive practice (Article 39 VIII).

How we help: Compliant Always reads your pack text and instructions against these duties, and keeps the evidence for each claim with the product. Ask about this

INMETRO conformity assessment

How INMETRO-regulated products are assessed, registered and marked.

  • Goods subject to technical regulation must conform to it; Conmetro issues the rules and INMETRO carries them out (Law 9.933/1999, Articles 1 to 3).
  • Manufacturers, importers, distributors and sellers must meet the duties set by the law and INMETRO's acts (Article 5); penalties include fines from R$100 to R$1,500,000 (Articles 8 and 9).
  • Under Portaria 200/2021 (RGCP), the Conformity Identification Seal goes on the product or pack; imports carry it before entry; where registration applies, the seal and sale depend on the object's registration (Registro de Objeto).
  • Registration rests on a certificate, a supplier's declaration with an accredited lab report, or an inspection (INMETRO registration page).
  • INMETRO consents to import licences for products under compulsory regulation (Portaria 137/2022), and in online sales the seal information is visible on each page offering the product (Portaria 178/2022).

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the certificate, registration and test reports for each regulated product, dated, and shows what is missing or expiring. Ask about this

Quantity marking on pre-packaged goods

INMETRO's legal metrology rules for pre-packaged products.

  • The nominal quantity is on the label, in a colour that contrasts with its background, with the unit: mass for solids and gels, volume for liquids, number for units, length for products sold by length (Portaria 249/2021).
  • Portaria 248/2008 sets sampling, tolerances and lot acceptance for products of equal nominal content by mass or volume; Portaria 294/2021 covers products sold by number or length.
  • Some products, such as rice, sugar, coffee and salt, may be sold only in standard sizes (Portaria 251/2021).
  • Where a free gift is an amount of product, the pack declares the product quantity and the gift portion clearly (Portaria 165/2021).
  • INMETRO's delegated bodies in the RBMLQ-I sample lots at shops, warehouses and factories.

How we help: Compliant Always reads your pack's quantity declaration against the INMETRO rules and keeps the fill checks with each lot. Ask about this

Who answers for what

WhoWhat they answer forHow we help
ManufacturerProduct safety, Portuguese information and conformity assessment (Consumer Defence Code, Articles 8 and 12).Test reports, certificates and instructions kept with each product.
ImporterDefects and information on imported products, as the manufacturer would (Article 12), and import consent.The foreign supplier's documents read and dated before the goods ship.
Brand ownerWhat the pack and listings say.Pack text read against the information duties.
Retailer and marketplaceSelling conforming products and showing the seal information online.Questionnaires answered from the record of each product.

States and municipalities

Under the Consumer Defence Code, the federal government, the states and the Federal District make concurrent rules on production, distribution and consumption, and together with the municipalities they oversee and control production, distribution and advertising (Article 55).

Health surveillance is shared: state, Federal District and municipal health authorities license food establishments and receive the communication of start of manufacture for many foods, and INMETRO's delegated state bodies (IPEMs) inspect regulated and pre-packaged products on the market.

Questions businesses ask

Is there a general product safety law in Brazil?
The Consumer Defence Code, Law 8.078/1990. Products may not carry risks beyond the normal and foreseeable, and makers, producers and importers answer for defects regardless of fault (Articles 8 and 12).
Do product labels in Brazil have to be in Portuguese?
Yes. The Consumer Defence Code requires correct, clear and prominent information in Portuguese on characteristics, quantity, composition, guarantee, expiry, origin and risks (Article 31).
What must a supplier do if it finds a danger after sale?
Inform the authorities and consumers immediately, including by advertisements (Consumer Defence Code, Article 10).
Who is liable for a defective imported product in Brazil?
The importer, alongside the manufacturer, producer and builder, regardless of fault (Consumer Defence Code, Article 12).
What is the INMETRO seal?
The Conformity Identification Seal, placed on the product or pack of products under compulsory conformity assessment. Imports carry it before entry (Portaria 200/2021).
How do I know whether INMETRO regulates my product?
INMETRO publishes its regulated products and the Portarias for each. Specific guides here cover toys, appliances, textiles, footwear and metal cookware.
How must quantity be shown on a pre-packaged product?
On the label, in a contrasting colour, with the unit: mass for solids, volume for liquids, number for units, length for products sold by length (Portaria 249/2021).
Are pack sizes fixed for some products in Brazil?
Yes. Some products, such as rice, sugar, coffee and salt, may be sold only in standard sizes; coffee, for example, in 250 g, 500 g or 1 kg (Portaria 251/2021).
What are INMETRO's penalties?
Under Law 9.933/1999: warning, fine from R$100 to R$1,500,000, ban, seizure, destruction, and suspension or cancellation of registration.
Is selling non-conforming products an offence under consumer law?
It is an abusive practice to sell products that do not follow the rules of official bodies or, where none exist, ABNT or another Conmetro-accredited body (Consumer Defence Code, Article 39 VIII).
How does Compliant Always help with selling in Brazil?
Our team reads the rules for the markets you sell in. Compliant Always shows which apply to your product, keeps the documents behind each one ready, and watches the sources for changes. It shows what the requirements say and what your documents show; you decide.

Sources

Compliant Always is a product of Lettuce Labs LLC. It shows what requirements say and what your documents show. It is not legal advice, and you decide.

Tell us what you make, and we will show you the rules for it.

Name the product and the markets you sell in. We will come back to you with what applies in Brazil and what your paperwork needs to show.

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