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The new import rule changes operations in Dionísio Cerqueira starting in June, expands the mandatory clearance quota, is expected to attract more trucks from Argentina and Mercosur, and could accelerate the economy and logistics in the Far West of Santa Catarina.
The new import rule will redesign the routine of the Dionísio Cerqueira border, in the Far West of Santa Catarina, by raising the mandatory minimum clearance margin for terrestrial cargo through the city’s dry port from 30% to 50%. The change comes into effect on June 9 and, according to the state government, could move R$ 650 million in customs value over one year.
According to the nd+ portal, what makes this decision bigger than a simple tax adjustment is the visual and economic effect it promises to provoke. In practice, the new requirement tends to draw more trucks to the border with Argentina, increase logistical flow in a structure that currently operates below capacity, and reposition Dionísio Cerqueira as a more significant player on the map of terrestrial imports in the South of the country.
The new quota changes the entry route for goods in the Far West
Starting in June, companies that use differentiated tax treatment for imports will have to comply with a new mandatory minimum clearance margin through the Dionísio Cerqueira Dry Port. The percentage rises to 50%, consolidating a new level of requirement for terrestrial cargo entering through the Santa Catarina corridor.
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The measure will be formalized by decree and aims to expand the circulation of goods through the region. For the government of Santa Catarina, the increase in the mandatory quota strengthens the local economy, intensifies customs movement, and stimulates logistical activity in a strategic area of the Brazilian border.
More than just changing a number in a tax rule, the decision affects the geography of the operation. When the obligation to pass through increases, the dry port ceases to be merely a possible alternative and gains more weight in the route of companies that import with tax incentives.
The projected R$ 650 million help measure the scale of the change
The strongest data point of the new rule lies in the financial estimate. The state government projects an increase of R$ 650 million in customs value moved in one year by the Dionísio Cerqueira Dry Port.
This value helps explain why the measure has repercussions beyond the border. The increase in the mandatory quota does not only affect the documentary flow of clearance. It can expand support services, vehicle circulation, customs activity, demand for transport, and the economic weight of the structure for the entire region.
There is also an operational scale gain. Today, the average movement is 13.5 thousand vehicles per year, with a forecast to reach 15.5 thousand annual vehicles after the change. In practical terms, this means more trucks circulating, more cargo processed, and greater logistical density around the dry port.
The dry port operates below capacity, and that’s what makes the shift more relevant
The most curious part of the agenda is not just the potential billion-dollar value in circulation, but the fact that the structure already has room to grow. According to the Secretariat of Finance, the Dionísio Cerqueira Dry Port currently operates with 46% yard occupancy, which means there is physical capacity to absorb the increased demand.
This detail changes the interpretation of the news. It’s not about pushing more flow into a saturated structure, but about utilizing an already installed capacity that has not yet been fully explored. In other words, the new rule attempts to transform idleness into economic movement.
It is precisely this combination of tax regulation and available infrastructure that makes the measure seem more significant. The decision does not create a new terminal but seeks to give more traction to an existing logistical point that can now gain new relevance on the Santa Catarina border.
The rule applies to Mercosur and changes the scope of exceptions
The requirement applies to goods with tax incentives coming from Mercosur countries, with the exception of Uruguay and Paraguay. As Dionísio Cerqueira borders directly with Argentina, the most immediate visual impact is likely to appear precisely in the land corridor between the two sides of the border.
The new decree should also remove from the list of exceptions products that depend on authorization from Anvisa and Mapa, expanding the rule’s scope. According to the information released, salmon and goods of vegetable origin remain excluded.
This technical adjustment is important because it redefines who will actually be subject to the new clearance requirement. The smaller the list of exceptions, the greater the rule’s ability to alter the real logistics of imports and to concentrate operations at the Santa Catarina dry port.
The mandatory nature has been growing since 2024 and now enters its strongest phase
The announced change did not emerge all at once. The mandatory passage of land imports through Dionísio Cerqueira has been in effect since January 1, 2024, based on state legislation.
The progress was staggered. The requirement started at 20% in 2024, rose to 30% in June 2025, and now reaches 50% from June 2026. This progression shows that the government has been gradually expanding the dry port’s centrality, testing capacity and consolidating operations over time.
This history helps to understand that the new rule is not an isolated movement. It represents the strongest stage, so far, of a policy that seeks to establish Dionísio Cerqueira as a mandatory hub for an increasing portion of incentivized land imports.
More trucks at the border could change the local economy and logistical environment
When a customs rule draws more cargo to a border city, the impact goes beyond the clearance itself. The increase in trucks can radiate effects to support services, food, supply, maintenance, complementary transport, and the entire chain that revolves around the circulation of goods.
In the case of Dionísio Cerqueira, this movement gains weight because the city is at the extreme of the Santa Catarina map, in an area where border logistics help define the regional economic pace. If the projection is confirmed, the dry port will function as an even more visible engine of activity in the Far West.
There is also a strategic effect for Santa Catarina. By strengthening this corridor, the state expands its capacity to capture import flows and consolidate a logistical point that can gain relevance within the Mercosur dynamic.
What happens from June onwards may show if the Santa Catarina border has reached another level
The real test of the measure will begin on June 9, when the 50% quota comes into effect. It will be from then on that the government, companies, and operators will be able to observe whether the increase in mandatory clearance truly converts available capacity into more circulation, more customs revenue, and more economic activity.
The case draws attention because it combines three strong elements in the same agenda: a change in rules, infrastructure already ready for growth, and a border with the potential to gain new commercial weight. If the projection of R$ 650 million is confirmed, Dionísio Cerqueira could cease to be merely a transit point and establish itself even more as a strategic piece of land logistics in Southern Brazil.
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