🇧🇷How to verify a supplier in Brazil
To verify a supplier in Brazil, look the company up for free in the official Receita Federal CNPJ lookup and confirm it is registered and currently active. The registry returns legal name (razao social), CNPJ, registration status (situacao cadastral), CNAE activity code, and address.
The official registry
- Registry
- Receita Federal CNPJ lookup
- Company ID
- CNPJ (14 digits)
- Cost
- Free basic lookup
- Active status
- Situacao cadastral reads ATIVA (active) or BAIXADA/SUSPENSA; the CNAE code shows manufacturing vs trade. Legal acts are filed at the state Junta Comercial.
Verify it in four steps
1. Open the Receita Federal CNPJ lookup
Receita Federal CNPJ lookup is the official government record of companies in Brazil. Basic name or number search is free.
2. Search the exact legal name or ID
Search the supplier's registered name or its CNPJ (14 digits). If the name does not match cleanly, treat it as a red flag, it may be a trade name, a different entity, or wrong.
3. Confirm it is active, not struck off
Situacao cadastral reads ATIVA (active) or BAIXADA/SUSPENSA; the CNAE code shows manufacturing vs trade. Legal acts are filed at the state Junta Comercial.
4. Check it makes what it sells
A real factory carries a manufacturing activity code and a consistent trade history; a middleman reselling everything is the most common mismatch.
This is a factual pointer to public records, not legal advice. For the full method, see the 7 checks that separate a real supplier from a scam.
We do this check for you
On every Brazil company we list, we show what the open record says, each linked to its free public source so you can re-check it yourself, no paid badge. And we go past the big directories to the local and craft makers who are too small for them but real, then verify and sort them, so you find genuine Brazil suppliers, not just the loudest.
Questions
Is checking a Brazil supplier free?
Yes. A basic name or number lookup in the Receita Federal CNPJ lookup is free. Some full official extracts are paid, but confirming a company exists and is active costs nothing.
What ID does a Brazil company have?
Its CNPJ (14 digits). Ask the supplier for it, then confirm it in the Receita Federal CNPJ lookup and check the registered name matches.
How do I know a Brazil supplier is a real manufacturer, not a reseller?
The registry's activity code is the tell: a manufacturing code means a real maker, a wholesale or retail code means a trader.