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Brazil Supreme Court upholds Soy Moratorium and state tax laws FAST-MOVING
Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court (STF) has ruled on the legality of the Soy Moratorium, a voluntary agreement designed to prevent the purchase of soybeans grown on Amazon land deforested after July 2008. By a majority vote, the Court affirmed the constitutionality of the pact, noting that private actors may establish such purchase policies to promote environmental sustainability.
Simultaneously, the Court upheld state laws in Mato Grosso and Rondônia that restrict or deny tax incentives to companies participating in the moratorium. Justice Flávio Dino, the rapporteur for the Mato Grosso case, argued that states possess the autonomy to set specific conditions for granting tax benefits.
The decision also results in the dismissal of various legal and administrative proceedings, including those at the Administrative Council for Economic Defense (CADE), which had sought to investigate whether the moratorium constituted an illegal cartel. While the ruling provides legal certainty for environmental commitments, industry groups like Aprosoja expressed disagreement with the dismissal of CADE investigations, and data from Serasa Experian indicates a 37.2% increase in soybean cultivation in Amazon areas deforested after the 2008 cutoff between the 2023/24 and 2025/26 harvests.
Entities
99Food · Abiove · Amazon · Cade · Dias Toffoli · Flávio Dino · Keeta · Lei Maria da Penha · Meituan · Moratória da Soja · Prefeitura de Santarém · Rômolo Russo
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 9 SOURCES] The STF declared the Soy Moratorium constitutional, preventing the purchase of soy from Amazon areas deforested after July 2008. www.dgabc.com.br · nx1.com.br · paraonline.com.br · www.moneytimes.com.br · www.estadao.com.br · +4 more
- [● 9 SOURCES] The STF validated state laws in Mato Grosso and Rondônia that restrict tax benefits for companies participating in the Soy Moratorium. www.dgabc.com.br · dev.tnonline.com.br · nx1.com.br · paraonline.com.br · www.moneytimes.com.br · +4 more
- [● 6 SOURCES] Justice Flávio Dino argued that states have the autonomy to set conditions for granting tax incentives. www.dgabc.com.br · paraonline.com.br · www.moneytimes.com.br · www.estadao.com.br · eixos.com.br · +1 more
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Data shows a 37.2% increase in soybean cultivation in Amazon areas deforested after July 2008 between the 2023/24 and 2025/26 harvests. nx1.com.br
- [● 7 SOURCES] The ruling extinguishes legal and administrative actions, including those at CADE, accusing trading companies of forming an illegal cartel. www.dgabc.com.br · paraonline.com.br · www.moneytimes.com.br · www.estadao.com.br · eixos.com.br · +2 more