EU deal gives Mercosur access to $3 trillion market, Apex says

The Mercosur-European Union agreement is expected to expand Brazilian exports by opening access to a market worth more than $3 trillion and accelerating tariff reductions, according to Laudemir Müller, president of ApexBrasil.

According to Müller, the agreement is already in force and is favorable to Mercosur: more Brazilian products are now entering Europe duty-free than European goods entering the bloc. Currently, 54% of Mercosur exports to the European Union already face zero tariffs, compared with 10% of European products entering Mercosur. The pace of market opening on the European side is five times faster.

Datamar import and export container data highlights the seasonality of trade flows between Brazil and the European Union. See more details below:

Container Exports vs. Imports | Brazil-EU | Jan 2023-Feb 2026 | TEUs

Source: DataLiner (click here to request a demo)

Müller said the main mechanism of the agreement is the reduction of import tariffs between the two blocs. He also highlighted the difference in market size: the European Union imports more than $7 trillion per year, of which about $3 trillion comes from outside the bloc, while Mercosur imports around $340 billion.

ApexBrasil expects an immediate impact in 2026, with an increase of about $1 billion in Brazilian exports, driven by the greater competitiveness of products now entering tariff-free.

As an example, Müller cited table grapes from the São Francisco Valley. Europe imports about $3.3 billion of the product per year, and the tariff on those shipments fell from 8% to zero under the agreement.

In sensitive sectors such as beef, the treaty provides for quotas. There is a quota of 99,000 tonnes with a reduced tariff, the implementation of which will still be defined among Mercosur countries.

In addition to boosting exports and generating jobs, the agreement could strengthen economic stability by increasing foreign-exchange inflows. Müller also encouraged Brazilian companies to assess export opportunities to the European Union.

Source: UOL

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