New origin controls for nuts and eggs in foreign trade 2026

Key data

If your company imports or exports nuts, fruits, vegetables or eggs, this regulation changes the controls to which your products are subject at the border and at destination. The Order ECM/1002/2026 modifies the annex to Order PRE/3026/2003—the commercial inspection reference in force for over twenty years—to adapt it to new European marketing regulations. The result is an updated list of controlled products, with new categories and different levels of requirements depending on the product and the direction of trade flow.

The change is not minor: it directly affects the documentation you must submit, the labeling of your shipments and the controls that Regional and Territorial Trade Directorates will apply from now on.

What does this regulation establish?

The regulation reorganizes the inspection annex into five differentiated sections according to two criteria: the type of control required (complete marketing standards or only origin indication) and the direction of trade (import or export). This represents a structural change compared to the previous annex, which did not distinguish with such clarity between control levels.

The specific changes by product are as follows:

In summary: nuts in shell enter the most demanding control level, while their shelled versions fall into an intermediate level that only requires proving the country of origin. Raisins and dried grapes, for their part, see their control burden reduced: they no longer need to pass the minimum requirements filter, but they must correctly indicate the origin.

Economic and operational impact

The impact is not uniform for all operators. It depends on the product and whether you operate in import or export:

• Greater burden for importers of nuts in shell: pistachios, macadamia and pine nuts in shell now require documentation and controls equivalent to those for fresh fruits and vegetables. This implies more time in customs clearance and possible physical inspections.
• Reduced burden for raisins and dried grapes operators: minimum requirements control disappears. From now on, only correct origin indication is required. This can streamline procedures and reduce inspection costs for this segment.
• Mandatory labeling adaptation: all affected products must include the country of origin indication correctly and verifiably. Incorrect labeling can halt a shipment at the border.
• New documentary structure: the annex reorganized into five sections means that operators must review in which section each of their products falls to know exactly what documentation to submit.

No specific penalty amounts have been published in this regulation, so it is not possible to quantify the cost of non-compliance. However, the usual consequences in commercial inspection include merchandise retention and the opening of sanctioning proceedings under general foreign trade regulations.

Who does it affect?

• Importers of pistachios, macadamia nuts and pine nuts (in or out of shell) from third countries.
• Spanish exporters of these nuts to non-EU markets.
• Operators of raisins and dried grapes in foreign trade (import and export).
• Importers and exporters of fruits, vegetables and eggs subject to European marketing regulations.
• Customs agents and freight forwarders managing clearance of these products.
• Logistics and storage companies handling these goods before clearance.

Practical example

A Spanish import company regularly brings two pistachio references from Iran: pistachios in shell (for direct consumption) and shelled pistachios (for industrial use in pastry).

With the new regulation, the situation changes as follows:

• Pistachios in shell: now subject to full control of marketing standards. The company must submit documentation proving compliance with all European marketing requirements (size, quality, presentation) and submit to inspection by Regional Trade Directorates. If this product was not on the full control list before, it is now.
• Shelled pistachios: only require origin indication verification. The company must ensure that the labeling correctly includes the country of origin (Iran, in this case), but is not subject to complete marketing standards control.

The practical result: the company must review its import documentation and labeling of both references before the regulation is applied by inspection authorities.

What should companies do now?

1. Identify which products in your catalog are affected by the new classification: review whether you operate with pistachios, macadamia nuts, pine nuts (in or out of shell), raisins or dried grapes in foreign trade.
2. Determine the applicable control level for each reference: in shell implies full control; shelled implies only origin verification; raisins and dried grapes only require origin indication.
3. Review the labeling of all affected products to ensure that the country of origin indication is correct, visible and verifiable on each sales unit.
4. Update import/export documentation to reflect the new requirements according to the section of the annex in which each product falls.
5. Inform your customs agent or freight forwarder of the changes so they can adapt clearance procedures from the entry into force of the regulation.
6. Consult with Regional or Territorial Trade Directorates if you have doubts about the classification of any specific product or about the documents required in each case.

Official source

Consult complete regulation in official source

Notice: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific decisions, consult a qualified professional. Source: https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2026-19943