CADEIA DE FORNECIMENTO E O PARADOXO ECONÔMICO DA TUTELA DO “CONSUMIDOR INTERMEDIÁRIO”

The article analyzes the supply chain under the Brazilian Consumer Law, addressing concepts such as solidarity between suppliers and the interdependence of contracts. It discusses the controversial jurisprudence of the Superior Court of Justice (STJ) on the “intermediary consumer” and the theory of “deep finalism”, criticized for its potential undue extension of the protection of the Consumer Protection Code (CDC) and its possible negative economic impacts, resulting in pass-through of costs for the final consumer. It defends a more restrictive interpretation, using article 29 of the CDC to protect effectively vulnerable companies, instead of expanding protection around a problematic concept such as “intermediary consumer”.