EU-Mercosur Trade Agreement: First Tariff Reduction Schedule Expected in Force from 1 May 2026 — What to Check Before Claiming Preferential Rates

The EU-Mercosur free trade agreement — more than two decades in the making and politically concluded in December 2024 — is expected to reach its first operational stage on 1 May 2026. According to the European Commission and available specialist reports, that date would mark the entry into force of the first tranche of the gradual tariff reduction schedule, modifying the applicable duty rates on specific tariff lines covering bilateral trade flows in both directions.

This first tranche does not cover the full scope of agreed concessions. The agreement provides for successive implementation stages with differentiated timelines based on product type and sector sensitivity as recognised during negotiations, with the long-term objective of eliminating or substantially reducing tariffs on the vast majority of bilateral trade.