A customs inspection operation conducted by the Pará State Finance Department (Sefa) resulted in the seizure of 43,078.9 tonnes of soybeans transported in a convoy of 16 bulk barges on the Tapajós River, at the height of Santarém, in western Pará.
The cargo, valued at approximately R$ 86.1 million, had departed from the municipality of Itaituba (PA) with declared destination Santana (AP). During analysis of the fiscal documentation, auditors identified inconsistencies related to the taxation of the operation and proof of merchandise destination for export.
According to the inspection, the carrier responsible for the cargo issued the Electronic Transport Knowledge (CT-e) through the state of Amapá without collecting the ICMS owed to Pará. The operation was presented as an export, a condition that would eliminate the incidence of state tax.
However, during the inspection, inspectors found the absence of documents considered essential to prove the actual departure of the merchandise to the international market.
According to Sefa, the only documentation presented was related to cargo batch formation, without the issuance of invoices or other records that formally proved the product's export.
The operation was conducted by the Tapajós Transit Goods Control Coordination, with support from the Pará Military Police and the Regional Finance Coordination in Santarém. The work included prior information gathering and monitoring of the logistics operation prior to the convoy's approach.
As a result of the inspection, two Terms of Seizure and Deposit (TADs) were issued, totaling R$ 30,044,902.59 in taxes owed and fines applied.
Strategic corridor for export
The Tapajós River is part of one of the main logistics corridors used for transporting agricultural production from the Brazilian Center-West towards the ports of the Northern Arc. In recent years, the region has recorded significant growth in grain handling, especially soybeans and corn destined for the external market.
The increased use of waterways has also heightened the attention of inspection agencies on transport and export operations, especially regarding the tax and documentary compliance of cargo.
Inspection reinforces control over exports
The operation highlights the importance of compliance with tax and customs requirements in operations linked to foreign trade. Documentary proof of export is fundamental for the application of tax benefits provided for in Brazilian legislation.
Experts emphasize that proper formalization of operations ensures legal certainty for exporters, carriers, and logistics operators, while ensuring tax collection by the states involved in cargo movements.
The cargo remains under the control of fiscal authorities until regularization of the tax and documentary situation identified during the inspection.
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