Jan Harnisch, Member of the Board & CEO Air & Ocean, Rhenus Group:
“The EU–Mercosur agreement will change things in a very concrete way. Removing tariffs on most goods is going to make trade between Europe and South America faster and more competitive, and that’s on a corridor that is already worth over EUR 100 billion a year.
If you look at what actually moves along this route, it’s a very particular mix. Europe is exporting machinery, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, often through hubs like Rotterdam or Hamburg. In the other direction, it’s large volumes of agricultural products and raw materials coming into Europe through ports such as Santos or Buenos Aires. These aren’t simple flows and they require very different types of handling, from bulk shipments to cold chain logistics.
As volumes grow, the real challenge will be managing complexity across the entire chain. We expect increased pressure on ports, continued adjustments in freight pricing, and a stronger need for multimodal solutions. One area that is sometimes underestimated is customs. Lower tariffs don’t necessarily mean fewer hurdles. Rules of origin, quotas and compliance checks are still very much part of the picture, and they can quickly slow things down or add costs if they’re not handled properly.
In that sense, the agreement is helping bring more structure and clarity to how trade between the two regions will evolve. Many companies have already started adjusting their sourcing and distribution models, with customs processes becoming an area where efficiency gains can make a real difference alongside transport capacity.
There is a strong opportunity to further strengthen trade links between Europe and South America and with our well-established presence across both continents, Rhenus is already fully equipped to respond and support this next phase of growth. The focus now is on how infrastructure, operations and regulatory frameworks can continue to develop in step with growing demand, making trade flows more predictable, efficient and resilient over time.”
About Rhenus
The Rhenus Group is one of the leading logistics specialists with global business operations and annual turnover amounting to EUR 8.2 billion. 39,000 employees work at 1,300 business sites in more than 70 countries and develop innovative solutions along the complete supply chain.