Grape exports to Europe to face zero tariff from May under EU-Mercosur deal

The 11% tariff on grape exports to Europe will be eliminated starting May 1, when the provisional agreement between Mercosur and the European Union takes effect. With Brazil’s federal government confirming the agreement’s entry into force, grapes stand out among the Brazilian products set to benefit from progressive tariff cuts.

The Mercosur-European Union agreement, ratified by South American lawmakers, has fueled part of the sector’s optimism بشأن tariff flexibility. A survey by Abrafrutas, the Brazilian Association of Fruit Producers and Exporters and Derivatives, estimates tariff reductions ranging from 4% to 14% on Brazilian products. Among the highlights, grapes will receive immediate tariff exemption once the agreement takes effect.

Guilherme Coelho, president of Abrafrutas, said grapes are leading what is expected to be a promising wave of tariff cuts for other fruits. “This reduction guarantees strategic predictability for producers, in addition to increasing Brazil’s competitiveness relative to other countries that already have zero or reduced tariffs on sales of the same fruits exported by Brazil,” he told CNN Brasil.

The tariff exemption is expected to boost Brazil’s competitiveness against countries such as Peru, Chile and South Africa, which already ship fruit to the European Union under reduced or zero tariffs.

The grape sector had already gained important ground in international trade. Through recent trade missions, Brazil has also reached the Asian market by bringing Brazilian grapes to China.

Paula Soares, agribusiness coordinator at ApexBrasil, the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency, said diversification of shipments is also a goal in order to capture the growth potential strengthened by the EU-Mercosur agreement.

“We have been studying the best ways to open new markets for several years. We opened the grape market in China, citrus in India, and we continue with special missions for that purpose. These are markets where we already operate, but we are seeking new destinations, regardless of the shifts caused by the tariff hike,” she told CNN Brasil.

Datamar‘s historical time-series indicates that Brazilian grape export flows follow a highly cyclical nature, typically peaking starting in September. In January 2026, outbound shipments totaled just 16 TEUs—representing a 86.7% year-over-year (YoY) plunge compared to January 2025. The following overview details Brazilian containerized grape shipments, according to intelligence sourced from the DataLiner platform:

Grape Exports | Jan 2022 – Jan 2026 | TEUs

Source: DataLiner (click here to request a demo)

Fruit sector

In 2025, Brazilian fruit exports hit a record, reaching $1.45 billion, up 12% in value and 19.6% in volume from 2024.

Exports to Europe of mangoes, melons, limes, watermelons, grapes and papayas rose 12.8% in value and 19.1% in volume in 2025. Overall, shipments to Europe increased 6.2% in value and 3.4% in volume in 2025 from 2024, according to data from Brazil’s Ministry of Development and Industry.

Mangoes, melons, limes, watermelons, grapes and papayas generated $967 million in revenue last year, compared with $857.6 million in 2024. Brazil exported 949,000 tonnes of fruit to Europe in 2025, up from 796,600 tonnes in 2024.

ApexBrasil estimates that fruit farming revenue will grow 40% and reach $1.8 billion by 2029. In 2025, Brazil exported 1.2 million tonnes of fresh fruit, generating revenue of about $1.3 billion.

Adapted from a text by Kaique Cangirana for CNN Brasil

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