MP that exempts imported medicines from taxes expires this Friday, and drugs will be taxed at 60%

The provisional measure (MP) that exempts imported medicines from taxes is about to expire this Friday (25). Published on June 28, the MP guaranteed tax exemption for medicines not manufactured in Brazil and brought by individuals for personal use, such as those intended for the treatment of rare diseases. With the end of validity, these products will be taxed at a rate of 60% on import tax, plus 17% ICMS in some states.

The MP text provided for a validity of 60 days, extendable for another 60, but Congress did not vote on the matter, resulting in the automatic loss of the measure's effects. According to the Parliamentary Front for Free Market, the exemption was essential to alleviate the cost of essential imported medicines, especially for patients who depend on drugs not produced in Brazil.

The impact of this decision can be especially felt by users of cannabis-based medicines, regulated by Anvisa's RDC 660. In 2024, the number of medical cannabis patients in Brazil increased from 430,000 to 600,000 compared to last year according to Kaya Mind. Of this total, approximately 219,000 depend on the import of these products, via RDC 660, which may now face a significant increase in the final price.

The MP was published after the government sanctioned the "Green Mobility and Innovation Program - Mover", which included the taxation of low-value imported products, such as those sold by Asian platforms. The "little blouse tax", as it became popularly known, establishes taxes of 20% for purchases up to US$ 50. However, imported medicines ended up being included in the scope of the new rule, which mobilized patient associations and healthcare professionals to ensure exemption.

The government, through the Minister of Institutional Relations, Alexandre Padilha, even promised, in June, the issuance of a new MP to ensure the exemption of imported medicines, equating their tax exemption to the new taxation regime for international purchases.

However, so far, there has been no official movement to prevent the impact of the tax increase for those who depend on these treatments.