Today’s terms, and what comes next

Today, Brazil and the EU trade on standard terms. After ratification, the EU and Mercosur will gradually lower tariffs on most trade. The timing depends on politics and is still uncertain, but the direction is set. An EU company is worth the cost in both cases.

What Brazilian exporters arrange through the BV (besloten vennootschap, the Dutch private limited company)

  • Commodity imports: you import coffee, soy products and food through Rotterdam with an Article 23 licence. You declare the import VAT in your VAT return. See the Brazil agri article for more.
  • The EU deforestation regulation (EUDR): for commodities linked to deforestation, an EU operator must carry out and document due diligence. The BV can take that role. See the EUDR pages.
  • Contracting and distribution: one Dutch entity supplies retailers and industry across the Union.

Is your group setting up a Dutch entity? See setting up a Dutch subsidiary for what you need, how long it takes and what the parent company must sign.

Setting up from Brazil

You can set up the BV fully from Brazil, with the non-resident process. You need an apostilled power of attorney, and you pay the trade register fee of the Chamber of Commerce (KVK) of €85.15. You build up the company's substance in the Netherlands in line with your trade volumes. For the wider region, see the Americas comparison.