The EU–Mercosur agreement applies provisionally from 1 May 2026

Preferential tariffs on Brazilian goods entering the EU began on 1 May 2026 under the interim agreement, while a CJEU opinion is still outstanding. What a buyer has to do to claim the preference, and why a tariff preference does not carry any other requirement with it.

Last reviewed 17 August 2026

What came into effect, and when

The EU–Mercosur Interim Trade Agreement entered into provisional application on 1 May 2026, following the Council decision approving provisional application in January 2026 and publication in the Official Journal on 27 February 2026. It covers the EU and Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.

On the EU side of the trade, import duties are progressively removed on the large majority of goods coming from Mercosur, with a further tranche given preferential access through tariff-rate quotas, phased over a period of up to ten years. Agricultural lines are the ones most often handled through quotas rather than outright liberalisation — the beef quota, for instance, is 99,000 tonnes at a reduced 7.5% duty.

The preference is claimed, not granted automatically

Preferential treatment depends on the goods meeting the agreement’s rules of origin and on the importer claiming it properly. In practice that means a statement on origin submitted to the customs authorities of the importing party, within six months.

Goods that were already in transit or in temporary storage such as a bonded warehouse when the agreement took effect can qualify, subject to the same origin requirements. If you are unsure whether a consignment qualifies, that is a question for your customs broker rather than for a compliance data source.

A tariff preference carries nothing else with it

This is the point worth being careful about, because 2026 has produced an unusually confusing pair of dates. On 1 May a Brazilian consignment became cheaper to bring into the EU. On 3 September, the EU’s removal of Brazil from the list of third countries authorised to export products of animal origin takes effect.

These run on entirely separate tracks. A tariff preference is a customs and origin matter, claimed through a statement on origin. An animal-products authorisation is a sanitary matter, and the EUDR is a due-diligence obligation with its own filing. Qualifying for one says nothing about the others, and a reduced duty on a product you are not authorised to import is not worth anything.

We are describing how the instruments are structured, not giving a legal opinion on any consignment. If a shipment sits across more than one of these, that is a conversation with your broker and your counsel.

Provisional is not the same as settled

The agreement is being applied provisionally while an opinion from the Court of Justice of the European Union is outstanding. Provisional application is a real legal basis and the preferences are genuinely available now — but it is a different thing from a fully concluded and ratified agreement, and it is worth planning on that basis rather than treating the position as permanent.

What we can and cannot tell you

We hold no tariff data, no rules-of-origin determinations, no quota balances and no customs filings. Nothing on this site will tell you whether a consignment qualifies for a preference or how much duty is owed, and we will not imply otherwise.

What we do hold is the Brazilian public-record layer a buyer assembles alongside the customs question: MAPA’s APTAS list of bovine holdings cleared to supply the EU chain, recorded in versions so a holding that was dropped can be distinguished from one that was never listed, together with environmental, labour and sanctions registers.

This could still change

This page describes the position as at 17 August 2026. The agreement is under provisional application pending a CJEU opinion, tariff schedules phase in over several years, and the separate animal-products position was still the subject of active negotiation when this was written. Confirm the current position with the European Commission, your customs authority or your own counsel rather than with us.

Common questions

Does the EU–Mercosur agreement override the September animal-products ban?

No. They are separate instruments on separate legal tracks — one governs tariffs and origin, the other governs sanitary authorisation to place products of animal origin on the EU market. A preferential duty rate on goods that are not authorised for import does not help.

Does it change anything about the EUDR?

The EUDR is a due-diligence obligation with its own scope, its own commodity list and its own dates. A trade agreement lowering duties does not discharge it. Treating a tariff preference as evidence of anything about deforestation would be a serious category error.

How do we actually claim the lower duty?

Through a statement on origin submitted to the customs authorities of the importing party within six months, with the goods meeting the agreement’s rules of origin. Your customs broker is the right adviser on whether a given consignment qualifies.

Is the agreement permanent?

It is being applied provisionally while a CJEU opinion is pending. The preferences are real and available now, but provisional application is not the same as a concluded and ratified agreement.

Every figure we publish carries its source and the date we retrieved it — see the methodology, or check a company against the forced-labour register directly. This guide is general information, not legal advice.

Check EU-approved establishments

Brazilian establishments listed as authorised to export to the EU. Authorisation is about veterinary and hygiene controls; it says nothing about deforestation, labour, or sanctions exposure.

Check EU-approved establishments →

Checking one supplier is free and needs no account. To watch a list of suppliers across every register we hold and be told when something changes, see how monitoring works.