Brazil's Duimp product catalogue: how to register goods in the Portal Único

Brazil's Duimp product catalogue (Catálogo de Produtos) is the Portal Único Siscomex module where an importer registers each product once, with its NCM code, description and attributes, plus the foreign manufacturers and exporters. The Duimp import declaration pulls its product data from the catalogue, so using it is mandatory.

If you sell to a Brazilian importer, or run imports into Brazil yourself, this is where the paperwork really starts now. Under the old DI system, descriptions were typed into every declaration. With the Duimp, a weak catalogue entry repeats itself on every shipment until someone fixes it.

What is the product catalogue and why does the Duimp depend on it?

The catalogue is a Portal Único module that stores the products to be imported and the "foreign operators": the manufacturer or producer and the exporter outside Brazil. According to the Receita Federal (Brazil's federal tax and customs authority) Q&A on the module, published in October 2024, the Duimp takes product information straight from the catalogue. That is why it is mandatory.

When a Duimp is registered, it links to the product code and to the version that is active on that day. If the entry is later corrected, the old declaration stays tied to the previous version. For the importer, the catalogue becomes the official history of how each product was described.

Every importer will be on it soon. The DI shutdown schedule, updated by Secex (the foreign trade secretariat) and the Receita Federal on 2 October 2026, moves the remaining operations to the Duimp by December. The declaration itself is covered in our guide to Siscomex imports in Brazil; this article deals with the registration that comes first.

Who can register products in the catalogue?

Only a user appointed as Catalogue Manager (Gestor do Catálogo de Produtos) in the Cadastro de Intervenientes module, the register of parties acting for the importer, can add, correct or deactivate products and foreign operators. The appointment is made on the same screen where the importer lists its representatives, and there is no cap on the number of managers.

Other representatives, such as a customs broker who is not a manager, can use existing entries to file a Duimp but cannot create or edit anything. Every action is logged with the user's CPF (Brazilian individual taxpayer number). Treat manager access the way you treat signing authority.

The catalogue is tied to the root of the CNPJ (the company tax ID), meaning its first eight digits. Head office and branches share it, and no other importer can see it. In imports on behalf of a third party (conta e ordem or encomenda), the catalogue belongs to the importer of record; the Receita suggests the buyer fills in its own catalogue and exports the file for the importer to load.

How do you register a product, step by step?

Few fields are mandatory, and three of them can never be corrected after saving. Start with those.

1. Settle the NCM code (the Mercosur tariff code) before opening the screen. It cannot be amended, and customs checks the classification against your description. If in doubt, work through our guide to the NCM code in Brazil first.
2. Select the type of operation (import) and check the CNPJ root of the responsible company. Both are locked once saved.
3. Fill in the product name (Denominação do produto), up to 100 characters, in Portuguese and without internal abbreviations.
4. Use the complementary detail field, up to 3,700 characters, only for what did not fit in the name. Repeating the same text adds nothing.
5. Complete the attributes required for that NCM, flagged with a red asterisk.
6. Add your internal product code. It is optional, but it links the entry to your ERP and saves time during inspection.
7. Link the manufacturers you already know and attach a data sheet or photo if you have one.
8. Save as a draft to review, then activate.

A detail that catches people out: drafts are kept for 90 days and then discarded. While in draft, the product has no version number and cannot be used in any Duimp.

What are NCM attributes?

Attributes are structured fields that describe the product so customs can apply the right customs, tax and administrative treatment for that NCM. Instead of free text, the system asks for things like material, use or technical specification from fixed options. Not every NCM has attributes, and only those marked with an asterisk are mandatory.

You can look up the attributes for an NCM in the Classif (tariff classification) module on screen, or through the Portal Único integration documentation if you work system to system. If an attribute makes no sense for your product, the Receita asks importers to report it to the Receita and Secex through the form provided in the Portal Único training environment.

Attributes also change. When a new mandatory attribute is linked to an NCM, the system automatically deactivates the products under that code and sends a notice to the Portal Único inbox. Importers who ignore that inbox find out when they try to file the next Duimp, with the cargo already on its way.

Attributes do not replace licences. If the product needs approval from a regulatory agency, the request still goes through the LPCO module, explained in our guide to import licences in Brazil.

Which fields are locked once saved?

The table below sums up what each product field requires and what happens if it is wrong. Source: Receita Federal Q&A on the product catalogue, October 2024.

For foreign operators, the mandatory fields are the CNPJ root, country, name, street address and city. Country and CNPJ root cannot be corrected. Unlike products, operators have no draft status: they are active as soon as they are saved.

How do you register the foreign manufacturer and exporter?

Foreign operators are registered in the Operador Estrangeiro menu inside the catalogue and receive an automatic code and version. One manufacturer can be linked to as many products as needed, which is the norm when a buyer sources a whole range from the same supplier.

If you are the foreign supplier, expect your Brazilian customer to ask for your TIN (trader identification number). The Receita describes it as highly desirable because it follows the World Customs Organization standard and identifies each operator uniquely. Send it along with the commercial invoice and packing list.

If the manufacturer is Brazilian, it is not registered as a foreign operator. The importer selects Brazil in the manufacturer's country list and enters the CPF or CNPJ.

What if a catalogue entry is wrong?

It depends on the field. Errors in editable data are fixed with Retificar (correct), which creates a new version, or with Gerar Nova Versão (new version) when the product itself has changed. Errors in the NCM, operation type or CNPJ root require deactivating the entry and registering a new one, because active products cannot be deleted.

The trickiest case is a customs request to change the NCM of an item in a Duimp already filed. Since the NCM is locked, the importer registers a new product with a backdated entry matching the declaration date, then amends the Duimp to swap the item. That product is valid for that single day and deactivates itself at 23:59.

Deactivating a product does not affect past declarations. The system looks at the entry's status on the day each Duimp was registered.

Frequently asked questions about Brazil's Duimp product catalogue

Sources

• Receita Federal: Product Catalogue Q&A (Oct 2024)
• Siscomex (Secex e Receita Federal): DI shutdown schedule (updated 2 Oct 2026)
• Siscomex: Perguntas frequentes de importação

Get the catalogue ready before the goods ship

A well-built catalogue lets the Duimp go through quickly and cuts down queries at inspection. When goods move by express courier, the gap between pickup and arrival in Brazil is short, and a missing entry turns into cargo waiting at the airport. Review NCM codes, attributes and suppliers for recurring items now, and see our guide to importing into Brazil for the rest of the process.

If you ship to or from Brazil on a regular basis, open a DHL Express business account and have the transport side sorted before your next order.