Commission Implementing Regulation 2026/996 creates and amends tariff-rate quotas for agricultural imports from Mercosur countries with provisional application of the Interim Trade Agreement from 1 May 2026. The main quota categories cover beef and veal, pigmeat, poultry, sugar, cereals, and cheese.
The EU-Mercosur Interim Trade Agreement (ITA) will enter provisional application on May 1st, following signature on 17 January 2026 and Council Decision (EU) 2026/183 authorising provisional application pending consent from the European Parliament and ratification of the full Partnership Agreement. Implementing Regulation 2026/996, adopted on April 29th 2026 and published one day before provisional application, creates the operational machinery (the tariff-rate quotas (TRQs)) that will govern agricultural trade flows from the four Mercosur states— Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay— under preferential conditions.
| Product | Order Numbers | Annual Volume | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beef & Veal | 09.4920 / 09.4925 | 99,000 t | Licence |
| Pigmeat | 09.4930 / 09.4935 | 25,000 t | Licence |
| Poultry Meat | 09.4940–09.4955 | 180,000 t | Licence / FCFS |
| Sugar (refining) | 09.0878–09.0885 | 180,000 t | FCFS |
| Maize & Sorghum | 09.4910 | 183,654 t | Simultaneous exam. |
| Cheese | 09.4975 | 45,000 t | Licence |
The main TRQ categories opened are beef and veal (order numbers 09.4920 and 09.4925 for licensed quotas); pigmeat (09.4930, 09.4935); poultry meat (09.4940–09.4955); sugar for industrial refining (09.0878–09.0885, managed under a first-come first-served system); cereals including maize and sorghum; and cheese (09.4975). Because provisional application starts on May 1st 2026, eight months into the standard quota year, the 2026 quantities are pro-rated on a proportional basis for the remaining eight months. Full annual volumes will apply from 2027 onwards. Mercosur states may allocate quotas among themselves from 2027; for 2026, although no such allocation has been notified at the time of writing, so the quotas are available to all four countries on a combined basis.
Operators importing beef, veal, pigmeat, and poultry under certain order numbers must be registered in the LORI (Licences and Origins Registration for Imports) database, though for order numbers 09.4920, 09.4925, 09.4960 and 09.4965 this obligation does not apply until 1 January 2027, providing a transitional period. Official documents issued by the Mercosur states must accompany imports, following the model set out in Commission Notice 2026/874. The regulation amends two implementing regulations ((EU) 2020/761 and (EU) 2020/1988) which govern the administration of TRQs under licence and first-come first-served systems respectively. Food business operators, importers, and EU-side buyers in the affected categories should verify their quota order numbers and import documentation requirements before placing orders under the provisional regime.
