European Boating Industry (EBI) applauds the recent EU free trade agreements announced with the Mercosur region, Australia and India. Opening new opportunities for Europe’s boating sector and reducing tariffs is critical for export-oriented boat builders and equipment manufacturers.

With provisional application of the EU-Mercosur trade agreement (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay) confirmed to start from 1 May 2026, the sector will see a gradual reduction of current high tariffs. For recreational boats, tariffs will gradually reduce over a period of 10 to 15 years while other products such as sails and lifejackets see reductions over 4 years. Current tariffs for exports to Brazil are as high as 20% to 35% for the boating industry.

EBI Secretary-General Philip Easthill said “Competitiveness and new market access are critical for the diversification and success of our sector long-term and critical components of EBI’s strategy. Our sector is strongly reliant on exports, and ‘Made in Europe’ is sought after globally. Removing tariff and non-tariff barriers remains critical to unlocking export opportunities and we call on swift ratification of the trade agreements to support business.”

In recent weeks, the EU Commission has also agreed trade agreements with Australia and India, providing significant opportunities that EBI will support its members on. Europe’s recreational boating industry is the largest exporter of recreational boats globally, as well as exhibiting a strong position across the entire supply chain.