Extra South American beef will enter the EU market but the amounts involved will be limited under the Mercosur deal. These target two markets – the higher-value one for fresh and chilled cuts and the lower-value frozen beef market, mainly for further processing. The Mercosur agreement proposes to increase the amount of South American beef entering the EU market at lower tariff levels. The additional allowance of 99,000 tonnes represents about 1.5 per cent of the EU beef market. But the limits involved on the amount of lower quota imports do not suggest a big disruption in the EU beef market.

Source: The Irish Times January 16, 2026 10:10 UTC