HOW THE NEW FTA WILL IMPACT TRADE, SUPPLY CHAINS & CENTURY CUSTOMERS

Australia and the European Union have finalised a landmark Free Trade Agreement that will reshape the movement of goods between both markets. The deal introduces major tariff reductions, new quotas for agricultural exports, and improved access for critical minerals, manufactured goods and services.

For Australian and European importers and exporters, this will mean changes to landed costs, documentation requirements, product naming rules and long‑term supply chain planning.

WHAT IS IN THIS NEW AGREEMENT

• Tariffs on cars, machinery, pharmaceuticals, chocolate, wine and spirits moving from the EU to Australia will be eliminated or significantly reduced
• Many Australian exports including wine, horticulture, seafood, nuts and olive oil will gain improved access to the EU
• Agricultural exports such as beef, sheepmeat, sugar and some dairy will operate under quota‑based access, requiring careful planning
• Some Australian food producers will need to adjust product names or labelling due to EU geographical‑indication protections
• EU manufacturers and energy‑transition industries will gain greater access to Australian critical minerals
• European farmers’ groups are signalling strong resistance to increased meat imports, which may influence implementation timelines

HOW CENTURY IS RESPONDING TO THE CHANGES

Our teams across Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and Europe are actively preparing for the FTA’s phased rollout and working to ensure our customers benefit from the new opportunities. We will notify and inform our customers as this takes place. In the meantime, we are currently:

• Mapping tariff changes across all EU – AU trade lanes
• Reviewing rules of origin to ensure customers can claim preferential duty rates
• Identifying products affected by naming or labelling changes
• Advising exporters on quota‑managed commodities (beef, lamb, sugar, dairy)
• Updating routing and customs‑clearance workflows to reflect new requirements
• Providing landed‑cost modelling for both EU and Australian importers
• Monitoring EU parliamentary ratification and implementation milestones in real time

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR BUSINESS

For Australian importers:

• Lower landed costs on EU goods
• More competitive pricing for European consumer products
• Potential packaging or labelling updates for certain food categories

For Australian exporters:

• New opportunities in wine, seafood, horticulture and premium foods
• Quota‑based access for red meat and dairy requiring early planning
• Higher scrutiny on sustainability, welfare and traceability
• For European importers:
• Tariff‑free access to Australian critical minerals, hydrogen and energy‑transition materials
• More competitive pricing for Australian wine and premium food products
• Opportunities for deeper supply‑chain integration with Australian producers

WHAT WE CAN HELP YOU WITH

To prepare for the FTA’s implementation, we recommend:

• Reviewing your EU – AU product lists for tariff and naming impacts
• Building updated landed‑cost models for 2026–2027
• Checking whether your products qualify under new rules of origin
• Planning ahead for packaging or labelling changes
• Engaging suppliers early to renegotiate pricing under new tariff conditions