MERCOSUR’s chilled beef export quota to the EU has been exhausted ahead of schedule

MERCOSUR’s annual quota for chilled beef exports to the European Union under the new trade framework has been fully used before the end of the year. Uruguay’s National Meat Institute (INAC) announced that the issuance of new export certificates has been temporarily suspended.

The 2026 quota covers 6,050 tons of chilled beef (carcass weight equivalent). Export certificates for the full volume have already been issued, meaning applications submitted from July 9 onward will remain on hold until previously allocated but unused volumes become available.

Meanwhile, the quota for 4,950 tons of frozen beef exports to the EU remains open, and export certificates continue to be issued. However, demand for both tariff-rate quotas has significantly exceeded the available volumes.

According to official MERCOSUR data, applications for the quotas exceeded the available volume by around six times, highlighting the strong interest of exporters from Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay in preferential access to the European market.

The early exhaustion of the chilled beef quota underscores the attractiveness of the EU market for MERCOSUR exporters due to higher prices and tariff preferences. Additional chilled beef exports under the 2026 quota will only be possible if previously allocated volumes are released or when a new quota becomes available.