{"id":42813,"date":"2025-11-04T09:37:02","date_gmt":"2025-11-04T08:37:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.amec.es\/preferential-treaties-strengthen-european-industry\/"},"modified":"2025-11-04T09:50:54","modified_gmt":"2025-11-04T08:50:54","slug":"preferential-treaties-strengthen-european-industry","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/amec.es\/en\/preferential-treaties-strengthen-european-industry\/","title":{"rendered":"Preferential treaties strengthen European industry"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Exclusive alerts and trends<\/a><\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Preferential treaties strengthen European industry<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The EU’s preferential agreements have had a direct impact on the increase in exports by European companies and the diversification of destinations following the loss of the Russian market.<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The European Commission has published the report analyzing the implementation of EU trade policy and its effects on trade in goods. We review each of the treaties analyzed. <\/p>

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Agreements in force<\/strong><\/h5>

Canada<\/strong>(in application since 2017)<\/em>
EU exports of goods to Canada have grown by 51%<\/strong> since the agreement came into force, compared to a 20% increase to the rest of the world. The number of SMEs exporting to Canada<\/strong> increased by 20.3%<\/strong>, and CETA has significantly reduced technical certification costs in industrial sectors through mutual recognition agreements. <\/p>

Japan<\/strong>(in force from 2019)<\/em>
European exports to Japan have increased by \u20ac267 million<\/strong> since its entry into force. EU companies won \u20ac317 million worth of public contracts<\/strong> in 2022, and the renewal of mutual recognition agreements has avoided duplication in industrial testing and certification. <\/p>

Vietnam<\/strong>(in force since 2020)<\/em>
The agreement has boosted the opening of the Vietnamese market to European industry. In the last five years, two-thirds of the total increase in EU exports to ASEAN-4<\/strong> came from Vietnam, consolidating the country as one of the bloc’s main industrial destinations. <\/p>

United Kingdom<\/strong>(effective January 2021)<\/em>
The agreement maintains preferential access to Europe’s main trading partner after Brexit. Since its implementation, the EU has recorded an increase of \u20ac8.8 billion in vehicle and component exports to the UK<\/strong>, largely offsetting the loss of the Russian market. <\/p>

New Zealand and Kenya<\/strong>(effective from May and July 2024<\/em>)
Although there are no quantifiable results yet, the reduction of industrial tariffs and regulatory cooperation mechanisms are expected to strengthen opportunities for European capital goods manufacturers.<\/p>

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Agreements planned or in process<\/strong><\/h5>

Mercosur<\/strong>(politically closed in December 2024; formal adoption pending)<\/em>
The agreement will phase out tariffs of 14% on vehicle parts<\/strong> and 35% on automobiles<\/strong>, and reduce the risks of disruption of supplies of raw materials essential for European battery production.<\/p>

Mexico<\/strong>(concluded; ratification pending)<\/em>
The modernization of the agreement provides for the total elimination of industrial tariffs<\/strong> and the opening of Mexican government procurement<\/strong> at all levels of government. It will also include technical cooperation provisions that will facilitate certification and recognition of standards for machinery and electrical equipment. <\/p>

Chile<\/strong>(signed in 2024; in the process of ratification)<\/em>
It will replace the 2003 agreement, with an almost total liberalization of industrial goods and improvements in public procurement. In addition, it reinforces the security of supply of raw materials<\/strong>, especially copper, whose imports from Chile have compensated for the fall in the flow from Russia. <\/p>

East and West Africa<\/strong>(finalized; pending adoption)<\/em>
Its implementation will raise the EU’s preferential trade to almost 50% of its world trade<\/strong>, expanding access for European industrial goods to growing markets in sub-Saharan Africa.<\/p>

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Reorientation of trade after the loss of the Russian market<\/strong><\/h5>

The report stresses that preferential agreements have been instrumental in redirecting European industrial exports<\/strong> following the imposition of sanctions on Russia.<\/p>

Between 2019-2024, the drop in EU goods exports to Russia (-\u20ac53.1 billion<\/strong>) was largely offset<\/strong> by an increase of more than \u20ac200 billion<\/strong> to partners with trade agreements.<\/p>

In the case of industrial sectors:<\/p>