Importing Coconut Charcoal into Brazil: Duties, NCM, Landed Cost 2026

Quick answer

Importing coconut shell charcoal into Brazil in 2026 costs about USD 3,200–3,450 per tonne landed in São Paulo state, or USD 61,000–65,000 for one 20-ft container of 19 t, starting from FOB Jakarta USD 2,000/t. Import duty on NCM 4402.90.00 is 0% and IPI is 0%, so the real charges are PIS/COFINS-Importação (11.75% of the customs value), ICMS (18% in São Paulo, calculated por dentro, roughly 22% effective) and AFRMM (8% of the ocean freight). ICMS and PIS/COFINS are recoverable credits for a regular trading company, which brings the net cost to about USD 2,400–2,550/t. Sea transit Jakarta → Santos is 38–50 days, usually via Singapore. Four documents matter: Bill of Lading, Commercial Invoice, Packing List and a Certificate of Origin, plus the batch COA for your own quality check. The thing that trips people up is the RADAR habilitation: without it, no DUIMP can be registered, and a container sitting at Santos beyond seven free days accrues demurrage in USD every day.

Parameter	Value	Note
Tariff line	NCM 4402.90.00	Charcoal, incl. shell/nut charcoal, agglomerated, other; some importers use 4402.20.00
Import duty (II)	0%	Applied rate, Res. GECEX 391/2022; IPI 0%/NT
Federal import taxes	PIS 2.1% + COFINS 9.65%	On customs value (CIF)
ICMS	18% SP, 17% SC, 19.5% PR, 20% RJ	Por dentro; state of the importer
Freight-based levy	AFRMM 8%	On international ocean freight
Transit Jakarta → Santos	38–50 days	Via Singapore; Itajaí/Paranaguá up to 56 days
Landed cost, 20-ft	USD 61,000–65,000	USD 3,200–3,450/t gross; ~USD 2,400–2,550/t net of credits

Market

Brazil is the largest hookah (narguilé) market in Latin America. IBGE survey data cited in 2021 put the number of hookah users above 2.5 million, and the tabacaria channel expanded fast during and after 2020, with specialised distributors selling to tabacarias, lounges, adegas, convenience stores and beverage wholesalers. Demand is concentrated in São Paulo (city and interior), Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte, Brasília, Curitiba and Porto Alegre, and the São Paulo distributors serve most of the country by road.

Charcoal is a consumable that is legal to sell online, so e-commerce tabacarias and marketplaces carry a wide brand range. Retail formats are 250 g, 500 g and 1 kg boxes; distributors buy 10–20 kg master cartons and lounges buy by the master carton. Brands visible in Brazilian retail in 2026 include Zomo (the volume leader, produced in Indonesia), Coco Nara, Coco Bass, Art Coco, Unicoco, TBC, Rainbow, Sheik’s, Chacal, Yahya, Coco Brasil, ONO and Arra, most of them Indonesian-made and sold as importer-owned labels. Hexagonal is the dominant shape, followed by cubes and flat “slim” sticks.

Retail price references: 1 kg boxes of Indonesian coconut charcoal list at R$ 31–50 at a large online tabacaria (Zomo 1 kg R$ 45.16, Coco Bass 1 kg R$ 45.16, TBC 1 kg R$ 31.47, Art Coco 1 kg R$ 49.90), and 500 g boxes at R$ 18–32. On the domestic side, a wholesale listing offers Brazilian coconut-shell hookah charcoal at R$ 8,000 per tonne and regional local charcoal at R$ 8–15 per kg. Brazilian buyers test burn time, ash, smell on ignition and cracking; the common complaints on local product are higher ash and uneven density. Brazil is the world’s largest charcoal producer, but that industry is eucalyptus charcoal for pig iron and steel, over 80% of it in Minas Gerais; hookah-grade coconut shell charcoal is imported because the coconut-shell raw material and the briquetting capacity sit in Indonesia.

Tariff classification and taxes

NCM and duty

The Mercosur nomenclature (NCM) line is 4402.90.00, “Carvão vegetal (incluindo o carvão de cascas ou de caroços), mesmo aglomerado — Outros”. IZZY COCO declares under HS 4402.90; some Brazilian importers classify coconut shell briquettes under 4402.20.00 (charcoal of shells or nuts). Both are heading 4402 and both carry the same duty. The applied Imposto de Importação (II) is 0% per the Brazilian applied tariff annex updated by Resolução GECEX 391/2022, and IPI is 0% (NT in the TIPI). Some commercial tariff databases still show an older nominal rate; ask your despachante to confirm the rate loaded in the Portal Único at registration.

Import-stage taxes

Tax	Rate	Base
II	0%	Customs value (CIF)
IPI	0% / NT	Customs value + II
PIS-Importação	2.1%	Customs value
COFINS-Importação	9.65%	Customs value
ICMS	18% (SP)	(CIF + II + IPI + PIS + COFINS + AFRMM + Siscomex fee) ÷ (1 − 0.18)

AFRMM (Adicional ao Frete para a Renovação da Marinha Mercante) is 8% of the international ocean freight for long-haul navigation, collected by Receita Federal through the Mercante system before release. The Siscomex utilisation fee is R$ 115.67 per declaration plus R$ 38.56 per addition (R$ 154.23 for a one-line DUIMP). THC (capatazia) at the terminal is excluded from the customs value since Decreto 11.090/2022; ANTAQ’s benchmark for Santos was USD 164–212 per 20-ft, confirm the current tariff with your forwarder.

ICMS is charged by the state where the importer is established. State internal rates in 2026: São Paulo 18%, Santa Catarina 17%, Rio Grande do Sul 17%, Paraná 19.5%, Minas Gerais 18%, Rio de Janeiro 20%, Distrito Federal 20%, Pernambuco and Bahia 20.5%, Ceará 20%. Interstate resale of imported goods is taxed at 4%. Because ICMS is por dentro (included in its own base), an 18% nominal rate equals about 22% of the pre-ICMS value.

Credits: a company in the regular ICMS regime deducts import ICMS from the ICMS due on resales; a Lucro Real company credits PIS/COFINS-Importação at the non-cumulative rates. Simples Nacional importers cannot credit either, so their effective cost is the gross figure. Under the 2026 tax reform, CBS (0.9%) and IBS (0.1%) run as test rates on imports in 2026 without effective collection; the replacement of PIS/COFINS by CBS and of ICMS by IBS phases in from 2027 to 2033.

Trade agreement with Indonesia

None in force. Mercosur and Indonesia launched CEPA negotiations in December 2021; in August 2026 Indonesia proposed a narrower preferential trade agreement as an interim step after the CEPA talks stalled. Since the applied duty is already 0%, no preferential certificate of origin is needed; a standard Certificate of Origin from the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce is enough for the DUIMP.

Landed cost, worked example

One 20-ft container, 19 t, FOB Jakarta USD 2,000/t, exchange rate R$ 5.12 per USD (8 September 2026), importer in São Paulo state. Freight is the 2026 range for Jakarta → Santos, USD 4,750–7,600 per box (USD 250–400/t); the base case uses USD 6,000.

Item	USD, base case	How calculated
FOB value	38,000	19 t × 2,000
Ocean freight	6,000	Jakarta → Santos, 20-ft
Insurance	130	~0.3% of FOB + freight
Customs value (CIF)	44,130	Base for PIS/COFINS
II + IPI	0	0% / NT
PIS + COFINS	5,185	11.75% × 44,130
AFRMM	480	8% × 6,000
Siscomex fee	30	R$ 154.23
ICMS	10,937	(44,130 + 5,185 + 480 + 30) ÷ 0.82 × 18%
THC Santos	200	ANTAQ benchmark
Broker, storage, documents	1,200	Budget allowance, confirm with your broker
Truck Santos → São Paulo	685	~R$ 3,500 per 20-ft
Landed, gross	62,846	USD 3,308/t = R$ 16,935/t
Less ICMS and PIS/COFINS credits	−16,122	Regular ICMS taxpayer, Lucro Real
Landed, net of credits	46,724	USD 2,459/t = R$ 12,590/t

At the low end of freight (USD 4,750) the gross landed cost is USD 61,021 (USD 3,212/t); at the high end (USD 7,600) it is USD 65,183 (USD 3,431/t). Net of credits the range is USD 2,388–2,550/t. Per 1 kg retail box that is R$ 12.2–13.1 of product cost against a shelf price of R$ 31–50. The cost calculator gives the live figure for your port, state and freight; the FOB price list is on the pricing page.

Ports, routing and transit

Port of loading is Tanjung Priok, Jakarta, about 40 km from the IZZY COCO factory in Tangerang. There is no direct Jakarta–Brazil loop; boxes feed into the Asia–East Coast South America services at Singapore (occasionally Port Klang or Colombo). The Maersk/CMA CGM joint service (ASAS2/SEAS 3, weekly, 6,000–8,000 TEU ships) rotates Shanghai – Shekou – Cai Mep – Singapore – Santos; other Asia–ECSA loops call Paranaguá, Itapoá/Navegantes/Itajaí and Rio de Janeiro. During Red Sea disruptions some services route via the Cape of Good Hope, which lengthens the schedule.

Port of discharge	Serves	Published FCL transit from Jakarta
Santos (SP)	São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Brasília	~38 days
Itajaí / Navegantes / Itapoá (SC)	South, Curitiba, Porto Alegre	~56 days
Paranaguá (PR)	Paraná, western São Paulo	~56 days
Rio de Janeiro (RJ)	Rio, Espírito Santo	~56 days
Suape (PE) / Pecém (CE)	Northeast	Fewer direct calls, ask your forwarder

Santos handles roughly 60% of Brazil’s container volume and has the most weekly Asia calls, so it is the default for a São Paulo distributor. Southern buyers often prefer Itajaí/Navegantes or Itapoá to avoid the Santos road leg; Santa Catarina’s 17% ICMS is also a point lower than São Paulo. Plan 38–50 days port to port.

Inland: Santos to the São Paulo metropolitan area is about 80 km, 1.5–2.5 hours by truck; road haulage for a 20-ft container starts around R$ 3,500 (USD 30–60/t in practice). Rail is not relevant for a single box. Free time on the container is normally 7 days for dry boxes counted from the day after discharge (ANTAQ RN 18/2017); demurrage for a 20-ft dry starts at about USD 65–125 per day and rises in tiers, with no legal cap. Bonded storage at the terminal is charged per period on the CIF value under each terminal’s tariff table; the first period is short, so clearance should be prepared before arrival.

Dangerous-goods classification and carrier acceptance

Charcoal is UN 1361, carbon of animal or vegetable origin, IMDG class 4.2 (substances liable to spontaneous combustion), packing group III. Until 2025 a consignment that passed the UN N.4 self-heating test could be booked as non-dangerous cargo under special provision 925. IMDG Code Amendment 42-24 deleted that exemption: voluntary from 1 January 2025 and mandatory from 1 January 2026, charcoal ships as declared class 4.2 with a dangerous-goods declaration and under the conditions of new special provision 978: the charcoal is weathered for at least 14 days after carbonisation before packing, the product temperature at packing does not exceed 40 °C, packagings are closed, and the container is stowed as the carrier’s DG desk requires. IZZY COCO issues the DG declaration and the SP 978 weathering and temperature statement with every container; the N.4 laboratory report stays in the file as evidence of stability, not as a classification document. Expect a DG surcharge on the freight quote and book the box as UN 1361 from the start, because since 2026 lines reject or roll containers booked as general cargo.

Practical points for Brazil: a 20-ft container is weight-limited at about 19 t of charcoal (26 t in a 40-ft), so ask for the tare and the road weight limit for your truck. Moisture at loading is about 5%; the boxes are palletised or floor-loaded with kraft liners, and the container is vented on the ship’s side to avoid condensation on the 38–50 day voyage through two crossings of the tropics. Do not ship with oxidisers or wet cargo in the same box, and do not accept a cargo that has been rained on at the terminal.

Import procedure step by step

1. Company and RADAR. The importer needs an active CNPJ and a habilitação in Siscomex (RADAR), granted by Receita Federal under IN RFB 1.984/2020. Modalities: Expressa (USD 50,000 per semester, restricted to public bodies and specific cases), Limitada (sub-limits of USD 50,000 or USD 150,000 CIF per semester, up to 15 days) and Ilimitada (no ceiling, up to 30 days, requires proof of financial capacity). A first container at about USD 44,000 CIF fits Limitada USD 150,000; from three containers per semester upwards apply for Ilimitada. The request goes through the e-CAC digital dossier with a digital certificate.
2. Broker and exchange. Appoint a despachante aduaneiro (customs broker) with a power of attorney in the Portal Único. Open the FX contract with your bank for the 50% advance and the 50% balance; the bank needs the pro forma invoice and, later, the commercial invoice and B/L to close the contract.
3. Product catalogue. Before the first DUIMP the broker registers the product in the Catálogo de Produtos of the Portal Único: NCM 4402.90.00, attributes, brand, exporter. It is reused on every later shipment.
4. DUIMP. Since 22 April 2026 maritime imports without administrative control at São Paulo ports, and since 27 April 2026 nationwide, must be declared on the DUIMP (Declaração Única de Importação) in the Portal Único; the old DI is switched off for these operations. No LPCO (licence) is needed for 4402. Importers still on Radar Limitado are scheduled to migrate in October 2026, so a first-time importer may register a DI until then; ask the broker which one applies on the day. Outside São Paulo ports, DUIMP registered before berthing can be cleared “sobre águas”, i.e. before discharge, since March 2026.
5. Arrival and levies. The carrier’s agent files the CE-Mercante; AFRMM (8% of freight) is paid in the Mercante system. On registration the DUIMP debits II, IPI, PIS, COFINS and the Siscomex fee from the importer’s bank account; ICMS is paid to the state (São Paulo: GARE-ICMS or via the integrated payment) before release.
6. Channel and release. Receita assigns a channel: green (automatic release), yellow (document check), red (physical inspection) or grey (valuation). Charcoal in 1 kg boxes with a clean invoice, packing list and a consistent NCM is usually green; expect yellow on the first shipment of a new importer. Release on green takes 1–2 working days from registration; red adds 3–7 days.
7. Withdrawal. With the Comprovante de Importação the broker issues the nota fiscal de entrada, the terminal releases the box and the truck delivers within the day. Total from vessel arrival to warehouse: 5–10 working days when the RADAR, FX and catalogue are already in place.

Documents checklist

Issued by IZZY COCO with each container

• Bill of Lading (original or telex release), consignee and notify party as instructed by your broker
• Commercial Invoice in USD with NCM 4402.90.00, Incoterm, net and gross weight, number of master and inner boxes
• Packing List by pallet or by master box
• Certificate of Origin from the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce (KADIN); no preferential form applies because no Mercosur–Indonesia agreement is in force
• Laboratory COA per batch from Beckjorindo or Carsurin: ash, moisture, fixed carbon, volatile matter, calorific value, burn time, drop test
• Dangerous-goods declaration (UN 1361, class 4.2, PG III) with the IMDG SP 978 weathering and temperature statement; N.4 self-heating test report on request as stability evidence.
• MSDS/SDS on request, CAS 68647-86-9, UN 1361 class 4.2 PG III

Arranged by the importer in Brazil

• CNPJ, RADAR habilitation and Portal Único power of attorney for the despachante
• FX contract and SWIFT confirmations for the advance and balance
• Cargo insurance (the base case assumes ~0.3%; Brazilian insurers issue the policy in BRL)
• Product catalogue entry and DUIMP; no LI/LPCO, no IBAMA or MAPA anuência for heading 4402 under IN IBAMA 6/2025
• Portuguese retail labels or printed boxes (section 9)
• State ICMS registration (inscrição estadual) in the state of entry
• Nota fiscal de entrada for the road leg and stock entry

Labelling, conformity and storage

Brazil has no INMETRO or ANVISA conformity programme for hookah charcoal; the applicable rule is Article 31 of the Consumer Code (Lei 8.078/1990), which requires correct, clear, precise and ostensive information in Portuguese on characteristics, quantity, composition, origin and any risk to health and safety, plus the IPI regulation’s requirement that goods sold at retail carry the country of origin. A 1 kg or 500 g box for tabacaria shelves should therefore show: product name (“carvão de coco para narguilé”), net weight in grams, piece count and cube size, country of origin (Indonésia), importer’s corporate name, CNPJ and address, lot number and production date, usage instructions (ignite fully on an electric burner until red, never indoors without ventilation) and a warning that burning charcoal releases carbon monoxide. Labels may be printed on the box in Indonesia or applied as a sticker in Brazil before sale; customs does not check the label, PROCON and retail chains do.

Storage: charcoal reabsorbs moisture, and a briquette that goes from 5% to 10% moisture ignites slowly and cracks. Keep master boxes on pallets in a dry, ventilated warehouse, away from oxidisers, liquids and heat sources; in humid coastal cities (Santos, Rio, Recife) do not leave cartons on a concrete floor or against an exterior wall. Shelf life is at least 24 months in closed inner boxes. A 20-ft container holds 19 t as about 950–1,900 master boxes of 10–20 kg; standard pallets of 1,000–1,200 kg are stackable two high.

Common mistakes

1. Registering the DUIMP without a valid RADAR or with the wrong modality. A container arrives, the habilitation is pending, and demurrage starts on day 8. Fix: obtain the RADAR (Limitada USD 150,000) before the goods are loaded, not when the B/L is issued.
2. Reading a 4% or 2% duty off an old tariff table. The applied II is 0%; a quote built on the wrong rate either overprices the product or triggers a correction at registration. Fix: have the broker confirm the rate in the Portal Único tariff module for 4402.90.00 and, if you use 4402.20.00, check that the catalogue description matches “de cascas ou de caroços”.
3. Forgetting ICMS is por dentro. Buyers budget 18% and get an invoice for about 22% of the pre-ICMS value. Fix: use the gross-up formula in section 3, and remember the ICMS is a credit only if you are a regular ICMS taxpayer.
4. Booking under CIF terms from an unknown forwarder. Low CIF freight from Asia sometimes hides destination charges (THC, release fee, container cleaning, “logistics fee”) collected at Santos that can exceed the freight. Fix: buy FOB Jakarta and nominate your own forwarder, or demand the full destination charge list in writing before accepting a CIF offer.
5. Booking the container as general cargo. Since IMDG Amendment 42-24 became mandatory on 1 January 2026 the line rejects or rolls it. Fix: book as UN 1361 class 4.2 PG III with IZZY COCO’s DG declaration and SP 978 statement from the start and budget the DG surcharge; do not present the N.4 report as an exemption.
6. Not registering the product in the Catálogo de Produtos before arrival. With DUIMP the catalogue item must exist before the declaration; doing it on arrival costs 1–3 days of storage. Fix: complete the catalogue as soon as the commercial invoice is issued.
7. Boxes without Portuguese labelling. The goods clear customs but the retail chain refuses them or PROCON fines the seller. Fix: order printed Portuguese inner boxes (+USD 200/t) or budget a sticker run before distribution.
8. FX left to the last minute. The balance is due five days before loading; a delayed closing of the exchange contract moves the vessel booking by a week. Fix: agree the payment schedule with your bank when the pro forma is signed.

Why buyers in Brazil choose IZZY COCO

IZZY COCO briquettes come from our own ISO 9001:2015 factory in Tangerang, Banten, about 40 km from Tanjung Priok, with a capacity of around 300 t per month and a laboratory COA per batch from Beckjorindo or Carsurin. Specification: ash 1.8–2.0%, moisture about 5%, fixed carbon about 80%, ignition about 9 minutes, 120 minutes of burn on a 26 mm cube, drop test 0/10. Cube sizes 22, 25, 26 and 27 mm give 96, 72, 64 and 54 pieces per kg; hexagonal and finger sticks are made to spec for the Brazilian preference. Lead time is 10 days for a 20-ft and 14 days for a 40-ft, printing adds 2–3 weeks; payment is 50% in advance and 50% no later than five days before loading. For Brazil specifically: sales support in Portuguese from enquiry to clearance, a free sample of up to 5 kg sent by courier before the first container (buyer pays the courier, about USD 50), and full-colour private-label inner boxes printed in Portuguese with your CNPJ and legal text so the product is shelf-ready for tabacarias. See the private-label page and request a free sample.