This is not a uniquely Apple problem. Blame this on the very high import duties on products imported into the country. There have been a few companies that have just left the region altogether as a result. Nintendo, for instance, completely stopped selling products in Brazil in 2015. They only just last year or the year before started selling the Nintendo Switch there. Still at a comparatively higher price.
In the last decade, it used to be a thing that people flew to Africa with several EU iPhones and Macbooks to sell them there on the open market. The profit of several new phones would cover expenses for a round trip and some more. Some people made their business out of it. But going towards 2020, customs became less lenient. I'm wondering if that's still a thing.
This is not a uniquely Apple problem. Blame this on the very high import duties on products imported into the country. There have been a few companies that have just left the region altogether as a result. Nintendo, for instance, completely stopped selling products in Brazil in 2015. They only just last year or the year before started selling the Nintendo Switch there. Still at a comparatively higher price.