EU GSP 2027: what changes on 1 January
The EU's new GSP applies from 1 January 2027: who leaves, who must reapply and what to check if you export to the EU.
Published on 3 November 2026Updated on 3 November 2026
Luis Sanz FiguerasFounder de Exporta.ai
Photo: Pexels
The EU's new Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP) applies from 1 January 2027 to 31 December 2036, under Regulation (EU) 2026/1395. Kenya and Indonesia stop being beneficiaries, GSP+ countries must reapply for their status, and preferences can be suspended for breaching environmental and governance conventions. Anyone exporting to the EU from a beneficiary country should review their tariff before January.
Source: Comisión Europea – Access2MarketsData for 2027-2036
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What changes on 1 January 2027
The GSP is the scheme under which the EU reduces or removes tariffs on products from developing countries. Regulation (EU) 2026/1395, published on 22 June 2026, renews it from 1 January 2027 to 31 December 2036.
Everything But Arms (EBA), the scheme for least developed countries, is extended with no end date and covers all products except arms and ammunition. Bangladesh, Laos and Nepal keep EBA for three more years after graduating in 2026.
Source: Comisión Europea – Access2MarketsData for 2027-2036
Who leaves and who must reapply
Kenya and Indonesia stop being GSP beneficiaries on 1 January 2027. Kenya has a trade agreement with the EU applicable since May 2023; Indonesia has been an upper-middle-income country for three consecutive years.
A GSP or GSP+ country that concludes a free trade agreement with the EU loses eligibility, but keeps its preferences for two years from when the agreement starts to apply.
Countries currently in GSP+ do not move automatically to the new scheme: they must reapply. They have two years, until the end of 2028.
Source: Comisión Europea – Access2MarketsData for 2027-2036
New conditions and product changes
The EU will be able to suspend preferences for serious breaches of environmental, climate and good governance conventions, in addition to labour and human rights ones. The list has 32 conventions, five of them new, and the Paris Agreement replaces the Kyoto Protocol. In exceptional cases, urgent withdrawal drops from six months to two.
PET, synthetic organic dyes, aniline derivatives, lysine and its esters, and diazo compounds move from sensitive to non-sensitive products and receive a larger tariff reduction.
For rice, if imports rise sharply above the ten-year average, preferences are suspended for the rest of the year and a tariff-rate quota applies the following year. Those requesting regional or extended cumulation of origin will have to show they need it to meet the rules of origin.
Source: Comisión Europea – Access2MarketsData for 2027-2036
Who is affected, depending on origin
The GSP is used only by those exporting to the EU from a beneficiary country, and it depends on where the goods are produced. A company exporting from Spain does not use it.
It may matter to such a company, however, if it imports inputs or products from beneficiary countries: the tariff it pays on them may change under the new scheme.
Source: Comisión Europea – Access2MarketsData for 2027-2036
What to check before 1 January in five steps
- 01
Confirm your country
Check whether your country remains a beneficiary of the GSP, GSP+ or EBA under the new scheme.
- 02
Look up your tariff
Find your product in Access2Markets and compare the tariff with and without preference.
- 03
Review your origin
Verify that you meet the scheme's rules of origin, especially if you use inputs from other countries.
- 04
See whether your product changes category
If you sell PET, dyes or other products that become non-sensitive, the tariff may fall.
- 05
Tell your importer
Explain how your product stands in 2027 so they can adjust their cost and price.
Source: Comisión Europea – Access2MarketsData for 2027-2036
How Exporta helps
With Exporta you can consult the market report for the EU by country and product, with tariffs, demand and competition, to see how much the tariff weighs in your final price.
With Find customers you locate importers and distributors in the sector in the EU, and with the export documents (proforma and packing list) you prepare the shipment with the origin details in order. Xport, the assistant, helps you at each step.
What is the EU GSP?
It is the Generalised Scheme of Preferences: the scheme under which the EU reduces or removes tariffs on products from developing countries.
When does the new GSP apply?
From 1 January 2027 to 31 December 2036, under Regulation (EU) 2026/1395, published on 22 June 2026.
Which countries stop being beneficiaries?
Kenya and Indonesia on 1 January 2027. In addition, a country that signs a free trade agreement with the EU loses the GSP, although it keeps its preferences for two years from when the agreement applies.
Do GSP+ countries have to reapply?
Yes. Countries currently in GSP+ must reapply for the status, and they have until the end of 2028.
Source: Comisión Europea – Access2MarketsData for 2027-2036
Check the tariffs for your product in the EU
Try Exporta for free and look up the tariff for your product in the EU before the new GSP starts.