en.Wedoany.com Reported - Argentina has completed the first honey export certification to the European Union under the new provisional trade agreement framework between the Southern Common Market (Mercosur) and the EU, with an initial shipment of 22 tons of bulk honey approved for entry into the EU market. The agreement, which provisionally took effect on May 1, 2026, completely eliminates the previous 17.3% tariff on imported honey.
Argentina's National Service of Health and Agri-Food Quality (SENASA) was responsible for this export certification, with the goods produced by a company in the city of Concordia, Entre Ríos Province. The new agreement provides Mercosur countries with an annual quota of 45,000 tons of tariff-free honey exports, with the EU being the primary consumer market for South American bee products. SENASA stated that companies must meet the EU's strict standards in hygiene, quality, and traceability to benefit from the tariff preferences.
To ensure the first shipment met the required standards, technicians from SENASA's Entre Ríos Regional Center supervised the entire process of extraction, homogenization, and sampling, and verified the implementation of residue control and sanitary quarantine protocols. The new agreement also incorporates provisions on sustainability, food safety, and geographical indication protection, aimed at enhancing the added value of exported agricultural products.
Argentina's beekeeping industry spans 22 of the country's 23 provinces, with an annual production exceeding 75,000 tons. Official data shows the country has over 4 million registered beehives and approximately 1,200 SENASA-certified extraction facilities. Entre Ríos Province ranks among the top nationally in both the scale of beekeeping and the number of registered beekeepers, making it a key region for the industry's export growth.
Industry insiders believe that eliminating EU tariffs will help Argentine honey enhance its competitiveness in the international market, especially against the backdrop of rising European consumer demand for natural, traceable, and sustainable products. This first export shipment marks the official implementation of the new Mercosur-EU trade framework in the beekeeping sector, opening a channel for Argentine products to enter the EU market, which has over 700 million consumers.
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