Fruits and vegetables: standard import values and additional import duties

Draft Commission Implementing Regulation amending Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/892 as regards certain procedures, the calculation of standard import values and additional import duties

Draft Annex

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Update

Standard import values

The European Commission proposes to update its procedures for setting standard import values, used to set entry prices for 15 fruits and vegetables in certain periods of the year. It proposes to set these import values on a weekly rather than a daily basis, and an alternative system for calculating these values.

Additional import duties

The Commission also proposes to amend the rules regarding additional import duties (tariffs) to clarify under which conditions these duties can be applied.

There is an opportunity for interested stakeholders to provide feedback on this proposal via the Commission’s Have Your Say webpage before 11 June 2025.

Impacted Products

Tomatoes, cucumbers, artichokes, courgettes, oranges, clementines, mandarins, lemons, table grapes, apples, pears, apricots, cherries, peaches, plums

What is changing?

For 15 fruits and vegetables (see Impacted Products) during certain periods of the year, the European Union (EU) has established an entry price system (Regulation 2017/891) – a minimum price threshold that must be met when these products are imported into the EU. This system is based on standard import values, which are the estimated customs values of imported fruit. An additional import duty can be applied to these products in these periods if specific volumes (set out in Regulation 2023/2110) are exceeded.

The Commission proposes to amend the system for calculating standard import values and applying additional import duties (Regulation 2017/892). It proposes to:

• set standard import values for the relevant fruit and vegetables on a weekly rather than a daily basis, and provide an alternative method for establishing import values based on Member States’ customs data (Art. 38)
• make the volume of imports the only criterion for setting an additional import duty (currently account is also taken of whether imports are disturbing the EU market, and whether additional import duties are a disproportionate response (Art. 39(1))
• clarify that the additional duty to be applied is one third of the Most Favoured Nation tariff (see Import tariffs and tariff rate quotas explained) (Art. 40)
• clarify that an additional import duty can be applied to a preferential tariff quota (established with a non-EU country under a Free Trade Agreement), but not to a non-preferential tariff quota (open to all non-EU countries) or to fruits and vegetables imported under the Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP) (Regulation 978/2012) (Art. 41)
• amend the customs codes of the 15 targeted fruits and vegetables, and the periods in which additional duties can apply (see draft Annex).

Why?

The Commission proposes to simplify and reduce the administrative burden by setting standard import values on a weekly rather than a daily basis, and making better use of existing data collection systems. Other changes are proposed to align these rules with the EU’s World Trade Organization (WTO) Tariff Schedule and customs codes classifications.

Timeline

The Commission intends to adopt the revised rules in the fourth quarter of 2025.

Recommended Actions

Interested stakeholders are invited to submit feedback before 11 June 2025 through the European Commission’s Have Your Say webpage. The consultation is open to stakeholders in non-EU countries. The only step you need to take before providing feedback is to register on the EU platform.

For more information on the EU consultation process, see How to provide feedback on upcoming EU policies and regulations – explained.

Background

Where imports for certain fruits and vegetables are particularly high, the Commission can apply additional import duties. These import volumes are set at 125% of average imports of each product during the application period for the previous 3 years (Regulation 1308/2013, Art. 182(1)). The trigger volumes for 2024 and 2025 are based on the volume of imports notified by Member States for the years 2020–2022.

Any additional import duty introduced would be equivalent to one third of the import duty normally applied to that product (Regulation 2017/892, Art. 40). Additional import duties do not apply to goods imported under a tariff quota.

Under the current rules, additional duties are not imposed where imports are unlikely to disturb the EU market for a product, or where the impacts of tariffs would be disproportionate (Regulation 1308/2013, Art. 182(2).

Resources

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