Poland's Agricultural Exports to Mercosur Are on the Rise
Polish exports of agricultural and food products to the Mercosur countries rose by 28% year-over-year to 5.9 million euros in May—the first month of the provisional application of the EU-Mercosur trade agreement. At the same time, imports from the South American bloc fell by 13.3% to approximately 141 million euros. This is according to preliminary data from the Polish Ministry of Agriculture, which was published on July 23.
The most important Polish export goods included bread and baked goods, confectionery, malt beverages, and chocolate. Imports, on the other hand, consisted primarily of soy meal, coffee, tobacco, peanuts, and orange juice.
“This is the result of our measures and a diplomatic offensive aimed at opening up new markets for Polish food products,” Agriculture Minister Stefan Krajewski said, according to the state news agency PAP.
Mercosur has so far played only a minor role in Poland’s exports
In 2025, Poland exported agricultural and food products worth 83.9 million euros to the Mercosur countries. This market accounted for only 0.14% of Poland’s total agricultural exports. In contrast, imports totaled 1.713 billion euros, representing more than 4.4% of all of Poland’s agricultural imports.
The European Union, along with Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay, signed the Partnership and Trade Agreement on January 17, following a political agreement reached in December 2024. Negotiations had begun as early as 1999.
The EU member states approved the signing by a qualified majority. Poland, France, Ireland, Hungary, and Austria rejected the agreement, while Belgium abstained.
The trade-related provisions of the agreement have been provisionally in effect since May 1. However, ratification by the national parliaments is still required for the Partnership Agreement to enter into full force.
Poland Stands by Its Criticism
The Polish government continues to reject the agreement.
“From the very beginning, Poland has spoken out against the agreement entering into force in its current form and was the only member state to challenge the procedure for its adoption before the Court of Justice of the European Union,” Krajewski said.
Even before the signing, Polish farmers’ associations had organized nationwide protests and a demonstration march in Warsaw. They fear that cheaper imports of beef, poultry, and sugar—produced under different environmental, pesticide, and animal welfare standards—could distort competition at the expense of domestic producers.
EU Relying on Safeguard Mechanisms
Supporters of the agreement, on the other hand, argue that the elimination of tariffs will open up new export opportunities for European and Polish agricultural products.
To protect domestic agriculture, the EU has set import quotas. These amount to 99,000 metric tons of beef, 180,000 metric tons of poultry, and 25,000 metric tons of pork per year. All imports must comply with EU food safety regulations.
In addition, the agreement provides for safeguard mechanisms. If imports of certain products exceed a threshold of 5% above the average of the past three years, the EU may launch an investigation and take emergency measures within 21 days to protect the single market.