Land of the Fee, Home of the Tariff

I recently posted on this online message board of ex-pats living in Brazil something like, "What should I buy here in America before moving there?" I got all kinds of answers. Some people went micro on me, saying batteries, razorblades and shoes. Most people gave the simplest and truest advice: Everything.

Brazil is not a cheap place. Correction: Goods in Brazil are not cheap. If you want a haircut or a nanny or someone to scrub every inch of your house, that's a bargain (hotels too!). Name-brand items, though, that's what'll get you. Imported goods can face steep tariffs down there. Some of the highest offenders are clothes and electronics. I've heard a pair of Levis cost about US $100-200. You want an iPad? Forget it.

Personally, I've been to Brazil twice. I can shamefully admit I once paid US $12 for a can of shaving cream.

Over the last couple years, I've heard about lots of friends of friends that have come here to the States with the main intention of going shopping. They come with one suitcase that has several other empty ones in it. They rack up on clothes, accessories and gadgets and haul them back to Europe or south of the Equator. I understand the biggest bang for the buck is makeup.

On Saturday, my family and I took Dani to the airport for her departure home. She was flying a South American airline. Standing in line to check our bags, we were surrounded by unspeakable amounts of luggage. Most everyone in line had those massive pushcart things with hundreds of pounds of luggage on them. Everyone seemed prepared to pay the staggering extra baggage fee of $150-175 per suitcase.

Dani had a handful too, but she was moving. I don't see how everyone else could be in the same position we were. It looked to this gringo like their various final destinations around Latin America were in the same predicament as Brazil.

As the immigration debate heats up again in this country, I've recently realized this component of the issue never really gets discussed. We talk about foreigners coming to America "in search of a better life." We mention that they can make more money here, sure, but what if the money they made back home could actually buy the stuff they wanted? If you're a US company making DVD players, don't you want your product selling at a price that's obtainable for a middle-class Brazilian? Who really benefits from the tons of swollen suitcases being lugged millions of miles each year by travelers? Tariffs are walls that consumers are clearly willing to fly over.

I'm a guy that likes to solve problems and make situations easier and more efficient. In the next few years, I can't do that. Were it up to me, I would make some basic changes to Brazil that would make the place, overnight, function at a much higher level. I've also heard basically every Brazilian I've ever met say some version of the same thing. So many of the issues are so simple and yet, somehow so challenging to take care of.

Anytime I've been fortunate enough to go overseas, I always try to behave like I would if I was a guest in someone else's home. Brazil will be no different. The people are passionate for changes and improvements there and I hope to see them all come true. I won't be marching in the streets with them, though. And I won't be calling on politicians to do their jobs better. I'm just going to tidy up after myself and turn my music down if anyone ever asks.

I went shopping today for some final stuff before I head out. I bought two nice pairs of shoes for a total of $47. I browsed t-shirts and sweatshirts that cost a bargain. In Best Buy, I saw brand-name laptops that cost less than headphones.

The arduous process of packing starts tomorrow. I'll have about four large suitcases stuffed with clothes, basic electronics and keepsakes--all of which I've been told will be unthinkable to purchase in Brazil. So, I'll roll them up tight, wedge them in, and be grateful that I'm coming from the cheapest country this half of the planet.