Since 1 May 2026 the interim Trade Agreement (iTA) between the European Union and Mercosur has been provisionally applied. For importers of Brazilian fresh fruit and green coffee, the headline is simple: a new preferential channel is open. The practical question is more demanding: which of your products actually gain from it, and what paperwork do you need to hold to claim it?
Not every product moves. The EU already applies a 0% most-favoured-nation (MFN) duty to fresh mangoes (CN 0804 50 00) and green, non-decaffeinated coffee (CN 0901 11 00). For these two, the iTA does not cut a duty that is already zero. Its value lies elsewhere: legal certainty on market access, a framework for origin rules and a stable base for long-term supply relationships.
Limes are different. Fresh limes (CN 0805 50 90) carry an MFN duty of 12.8%. The iTA tariff schedule (Annex 2-A) phases that duty down in stages, so the preferential rate you can claim depends on the date of entry into free circulation and on holding valid proof of origin. Trade sources have reported a first step to 11.2% from 1 May 2026, but official figures should always be taken from the Commission's TARIC database or Access2Markets on the day of import, not from a press quote. Some market commentary this summer still quoted 12.8%, which is exactly why verification matters: an importer who has not claimed the preference pays the full MFN rate.
Brazil is the dominant supplier of Tahiti limes to Europe, shipping roughly 200,000 tonnes a year against 30,000–40,000 tonnes from Mexico. In the first half of 2026, Brazilian lime exports to the EU reached about 110,000 tonnes, with volume up around 3% and value up around 9% year on year (FreshPlaza). On a product sold in a tight-margin, high-volume channel, even a one-to-two-point duty reduction is visible in the landed cost per carton.
Confirm the eight-digit CN code on the commercial invoice and the declaration matches the tariff line in the schedule. A mismatch between the exporter's description and the importer's code is a common cause of disputed claims.
Fresh fruit grown and harvested in Brazil is normally wholly obtained, which makes origin straightforward. Green coffee and processed products need a closer look. The goods must also respect the non-alteration rule: they may not be altered or processed in a third country other than for permitted logistics operations such as unloading, reloading or storage under customs supervision.
In the EU declaration, the preferential arrangement is flagged through the TARIC preference code for the Mercosur iTA together with the proof-of-origin document code, and the country of origin is declared as Brazil. Your customs broker should confirm the codes current at the time of filing, since TARIC is updated frequently.
If customs authorities verify the origin and the proof does not hold up, the preference can be denied and a customs debt arises for the full duty. For a container of limes, that is a sum you do not want to discover months after the sale. Ask your Brazilian supplier to confirm, in the contract, that they will issue a compliant statement on origin for every shipment and cooperate with any verification.
The agreement includes a six-month transitional rule for goods that were already in transit on 1 May 2026. If you have older shipments or disputes, check whether this window applied to them.
Because the duty reduction on limes is gradual, treat it as a margin lever to be shared, not a windfall to be assumed. Agree up front who benefits: some importers pass the saving on in a more competitive shelf price, others negotiate a small share with the exporter in return for the extra origin paperwork. Whichever route you choose, write it into the contract, and revisit it each time the schedule steps down.
It is also worth planning for volatility. Lime arrivals in Europe have been irregular this autumn, with logistics disruptions pushing purchase prices well above their usual range. In a tight market, the supplier that can deliver compliant origin documents on every container is more valuable than one offering a marginally lower price without them.
For limes, the iTA brings a real, if gradual, duty advantage that can only be captured with correct paperwork. For mangoes and green coffee, the benefit is structural rather than tariff-based. Either way, importers who build the origin process into their supply contracts now will be ahead as the schedule steps down in the coming years.
Trivalli Comércio Global supports European importers with Brazilian fruit and coffee, including the documentation needed for preferential origin. Contact us to review your next shipment.
Sources: European Commission – EU-Mercosur trade agreement; Access2Markets – EU-Mercosur iTA; Commission factsheet on provisional application; DG TAXUD notice; FreshPlaza market reports on Brazilian limes (2026).
