Brazil Court Orders Restrictions on Imidacloprid, Clothianidin and Thiamethoxam
Report by AgriBrasilis, Global Agriculture’s LATAM Region Reporting Agency
23 September 2026, São Paulo: Brazil’s Federal Regional Court for the 3rd Region (TRF3) has ordered the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAPA) to fully implement the conclusions of environmental re-evaluations of the insecticides imidacloprid, clothianidin and thiamethoxam. The ruling also sets a deadline for Brazil’s environmental authority, Ibama, to conclude its environmental re-evaluation of fipronil.
The decision follows a public civil action filed by Brazil’s Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office (MPF) concerning the aerial application of pesticides and potential risks to pollinators.
TRF3 ordered MAPA to adopt, within 180 days of publication of the ruling, the formal measures required to implement the conclusions of Ibama’s completed environmental re-evaluations of imidacloprid, clothianidin and thiamethoxam.
The ruling specifically requires the formal prohibition of aerial spraying of these three active ingredients on all crops across Brazil, along with any necessary changes to pesticide labels and registrations.
Ibama completed its environmental re-evaluations of imidacloprid and clothianidin in 2021, with subsequent restrictions incorporated through MAPA Acts No. 71/2022 and No. 56/2022. The environmental re-evaluation of thiamethoxam was completed by Ibama in February 2024.
The court noted that several of the restrictions covered by the lawsuit had already been implemented through administrative measures. However, it maintained the requirement for MAPA to complete the implementation of the conclusions arising from the environmental re-evaluations.
Fipronil Review
For fipronil, TRF3 ordered Ibama to conclude and publish the final outcome of its environmental re-evaluation within 360 days. MAPA will then have 90 days following publication of Ibama’s conclusions to adopt the corresponding measures concerning the pesticide’s registration.
The ruling also noted that aerial foliar application of fipronil has been provisionally prohibited in Brazil since 2012.
TRF3 further recognized what it described as “qualified administrative inaction” by Ibama and the Federal Government in relation to the environmental re-evaluation process. The court also held that the prohibition of aerial spraying of imidacloprid, clothianidin, thiamethoxam and fipronil has legal and constitutional basis.
The decision was issued unanimously by the 4th Panel of TRF3, partially granting an appeal filed by the MPF in Case No. 5021356-42.2021.4.03.6100.
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