EU eliminates tariffs on imports 2026: real savings for importing companies

Key data

Importing companies of certain goods have a direct cost-saving window in their customs costs from June 25, 2026. Regulation (EU) 2026/1461, published in the EU Official Journal on June 30, 2026, establishes the non-application of customs duties to imports of specific products listed in its annex.

This measure is part of the EU's regular commercial policy to ensure the supply of raw materials or intermediate products that are not available in sufficient quantities in the European internal market. The direct result for affected companies: lower procurement costs and greater competitive advantage over competitors who do not import these products.

What does this regulation establish?

Regulation (EU) 2026/1461 establishes the suspension or elimination of customs duties applicable to the import of certain goods into the European Union. This is a recurring commercial policy tool in the EU: when a product is not manufactured in sufficient volume within the internal market, tariffs are temporarily suspended to facilitate its import from third countries.

The key aspects of the regulation are:

• The measure affects exclusively products whose combined nomenclature (CN) codes appear in the regulation's annex.
• The regulation is directly applicable in all EU Member States, including Spain, without the need for transposition or national regulatory development.
• The removal of tariffs aims to ensure the supply of raw materials or intermediate products not available in sufficient quantities in the European internal market.
• To benefit from the measure, companies must identify whether their imported products correspond to any of the CN codes included in the regulation's annex.

To consult the complete list of affected CN codes, it is essential to access the full text of the regulation on EUR-Lex, where the annex with all included products is published.

Economic and operational impact

The elimination of tariffs has a direct and quantifiable economic impact for importing companies of affected products:

• Immediate reduction in import costs: the tariff previously paid at customs disappears, reducing the cost price of imported goods from the date of entry into force (June 25, 2026).
• Improved competitiveness: companies using these products as raw materials or intermediate inputs can improve their margin or pass the savings to the final price, gaining position against competitors.
• Impact on the supply chain: as imports become cheaper, it may become more profitable to diversify international suppliers or increase purchase volumes from third countries.
• No regulatory adaptation cost: as it is a directly applicable regulation, no additional internal adaptation procedures are required. The benefit is automatic for those already importing the included products.

The concrete impact in euros depends on the imported volume and the previous tariff rate applicable to each CN code. Companies with higher import volumes of affected products will obtain the most significant savings.

Who does it affect?

• Importing companies of goods included in the annex of Regulation (EU) 2026/1461, regardless of their size or sector.
• Manufacturers and industrialists using raw materials or intermediate products imported from third countries outside the EU.
• Distributors and marketers who directly import products of the affected CN codes.
• Purchasing and procurement departments of companies with international supply chains.
• Customs advisors and customs agents managing import declarations for their clients.
• CFOs and financial directors responsible for optimizing procurement costs and the company's cost structure.

Practical example

Imagine a Spanish industrial components manufacturer that regularly imports a raw material from a non-EU country. Until June 24, 2026, each import declaration included payment of the tariff corresponding to that product's CN code.

If that CN code appears in the annex of Regulation (EU) 2026/1461, from June 25, 2026 that tariff is zero. The customs agent must reflect the tariff suspension in the import declaration (SAD), indicating the regime code or reference to the applicable regulation.

The annual savings will depend on the imported volume and the previous tariff rate: a company importing €500,000 annually of that product with a 5% tariff would go from paying €25,000 in customs duties to paying €0. That saving is immediate, recurring, and requires no special procedures beyond correctly identifying the CN code in the customs declaration.

What should companies do now?

1. Review the annex of Regulation (EU) 2026/1461: access the full text on EUR-Lex and check if the CN codes of your imported products are included. This is the most urgent step.
2. Coordinate with your customs agent or foreign trade department: if any of your CN codes are in the annex, inform whoever manages your import declarations so they correctly apply the tariff suspension from June 25, 2026.
3. Quantify potential savings: calculate the annual volume imported of affected products and the previous tariff rate to estimate savings in procurement costs.
4. Review supplier contracts: if the purchase price included an estimate of customs costs, consider renegotiating terms or adjusting the internal cost price.
5. Update cost management systems: reflect the tariff reduction in your product cost calculations, margins, and sales prices if applicable.
6. Monitor possible future changes: EU tariff suspensions are reviewed periodically. Keep track of possible changes in the scope of the regulation.

Official source

Consult complete regulation at official source

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific decisions, consult a qualified professional. Source: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/./legal-content/AUTO/?uri=CELEX:32026R1461