0
The Brazilian federal government has taken another step in implementing the Mercosur-European Union Agreement by establishing rules that enable the use of tariff quotas in bilateral trade.
With the May 1 publication of the ordinances from the Secretariat of Foreign Trade (Secex) of the Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade, and Services (MDIC), the country now has clear guidelines for the use of quotas in exports and imports, an essential step for the practical application of the agreement.
The measures regulate Decree No. 12,953, of April 28, 2026, and complement Secex Ordinance No. 490, which established the Certificate of Origin, a document necessary to access tariff benefits.
The incidence of quotas is limited: approximately 4% of exports and 0.3% of imports. In practice, most trade between Mercosur and the European Union will occur with reduced or complete elimination of tariffs, without quantitative restrictions.
The rules were defined by Secex Ordinances No. 491, for imports, and No. 492, for exports. In the case of imports, products such as vehicles, dairy products, garlic, tomato preparations, chocolates, and confectionery items will follow a model based on the order of registration of licenses in the Siscomex Single Portal. To guarantee the use of the quota, the importer must link the license to the Single Import Declaration (Duimp) within 60 days, respecting the limits per operation.
For exports, the quotas cover strategic products in the Brazilian export agenda, such as meat, sugar, ethanol, rice, corn and derivatives, as well as items such as honey, eggs, and beverages like rum and cachaça. Distribution follows the same principle of order of request, observing the limits of each quota and availability at the time of analysis.
Following the transaction, a Mercosur Quota Authorization Certificate will be issued, which accompanies the goods and allows the application of the tariff benefit in the European market.
The division of quotas among Mercosur countries is still under negotiation. Until a joint decision is reached, each country will continue operating with its own procedures, without altering the total volume traded or the right of access to the benefits foreseen in the agreement.
For products not subject to quotas, access to tariff preferences depends only on compliance with the rules of origin. In cases with quotas, these requirements remain valid.
May 1, 2026/ MDIC/ Brazil.
https://www.gov.br
