Does Brazil levy massive import duties on Luxury items such as boats?
The total duties are around 85% of the FOB price plus freight. An Olympic boat in Brazil costs twice what it costs in the country of origin.
Some boats/equipments have representatives who make a profit, so make it three times for a 50% markup. Windsurfers are one case. All Harken, Lewmar and Ronstan hardware, lines, sails, sailcloth, etc. are tripled.
To make things worse, Holt bought the local manufacturer Nautos and the Holt-Nautos hardware (the same stuff with new logo) is priced exactly the same as imported hardware. They tripled the prices overnight.
