European Boating Industry (EBI) has responded to recent EU free trade agreements with the Mercosur region, Australia and India, pointing to their likely impact on market access for the boating sector.
The EU-Mercosur agreement, covering Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, is set to be applied provisionally from 1 May 2026. It includes a phased reduction of tariffs affecting recreational boats and related products. Tariffs on recreational boats are expected to decrease over ten to 15 years, while products such as sails and lifejackets are subject to reductions over four years. Current export tariffs to Brazil range from 20 per cent to 35 per cent for the boating sector.
EBI secretary-general Philip Easthill says: “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.”
The European Commission has also reached agreements with Australia and India, which are expected to provide additional export opportunities for European marine businesses.
European Boating Industry represents the recreational boating sector in Europe, covering boatbuilding, equipment manufacturing, marinas and service providers. The industry includes around 32,000 companies, most of them SMEs, and employs more than 280,000 people directly.
On 5 March 2026, the EU launched a landmark Industrial Maritime Strategy, which outlines a raft of measures intended to support maritime manufacturing and sustainability across the sector.
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