Editor’s Note (November 2026): This article has been updated to reflect recent tariff developments and current trade policy considerations for U.S. exporters exporting to the EU.
The European Union (EU) remains one of the most attractive export markets in the world for U.S. companies. With 27 member countries, more than 440 million consumers, and one of the world's largest economies, the EU offers significant opportunities for exporters across a wide range of industries.
The trade relationship between the United States and the European Union continues to be one of the largest and most important in the world. In 2025, U.S.-EU trade in goods exceeded $1.04 trillion. U.S. exports to the European Union reached $414.4 billion, while imports from the EU totaled $633.2 billion. EU-U.S. trade in goods exceeded €910 billion, highlighting the strength and scale of the transatlantic marketplace.
For many U.S. exporters, the European Union offers advantages that can be difficult to find elsewhere, including relatively stable markets, strong purchasing power, and established trade infrastructure. However, selling into the EU also requires understanding complex customs requirements, product standards, documentation rules, and an evolving regulatory landscape.
Whether you're shipping industrial equipment, manufactured goods, chemicals, technology products, or consumer goods, understanding the EU's import requirements is essential for avoiding delays, penalties, and unexpected costs.
In 1951, six European countries—Belgium, the Federal Republic of Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands—created the European Coal and Steel Community to promote economic cooperation and political stability in Europe. The EU took several forms throughout the Cold War and the decades that followed, with member states being added throughout. The European Union was formally established by the Maastricht Treaty in 1993, which created a single market with freedom of movement of goods, services, people, and money between members; its largest expansion occurred in 2004 with the addition of 10 states.
In 2016, the United Kingdom held a referendum to leave the EU, called Brexit. The multi-year withdrawal process resulted in the UK leaving the EU officially on January 31, 2020; however, the EU and UK negotiated a Trade and Cooperation Agreement, which was provisionally applied as of January 1, 2021, and entered into force on May 1, 2021, averting some of the major negative economic impacts from leaving Brexit.
Presently, the EU consists of the following countries:
In 2022, Russia’s unprovoked war against Ukraine significantly altered the economic and political landscape in the European Union, as well as Europe and the world at large. Unprecedented sanctions against Russia and measures to protect Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty have moved the EU closer to the U.S. politically.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine led to two EU members, Finland and Sweden, to join NATO; The EU has also granted Ukraine and Moldova candidate status while Georgia received conditional candidate status. Economically, higher fuel prices, supply chain disruptions, shortages of critical supplies, and soaring food prices stoked inflation have been effects of the invasion on the EU.
European regulations continue to evolve, and exporters should stay informed about requirements that may affect their products and supply chains.
One of the most significant developments is the European Union's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). After a transitional reporting period that ran from 2023 through 2025, the program entered its definitive phase in 2026. CBAM currently applies to certain carbon-intensive products including iron and steel, aluminum, cement, fertilizers, hydrogen, and electricity. Importers of covered products must comply with additional emissions reporting and carbon-pricing requirements.
Exporters should also monitor evolving EU requirements related to sustainability reporting, product traceability, supply chain transparency, and environmental compliance. These initiatives continue to expand and may create new documentation requirements for companies selling into European markets.
Before shipping to the EU, exporters should confirm whether their products are subject to industry-specific regulations, labeling requirements, environmental rules, or additional import controls.
Effective July 1, 2026, the European Union eliminated its remaining regular customs duties on U.S.-origin industrial goods under the U.S.–EU trade framework. It also introduced reduced tariffs and tariff-rate quotas for certain U.S. agricultural and seafood products. However, these changes do not mean every shipment from the United States enters the EU without duties or other import charges. Product-specific antidumping and countervailing duties may still apply, and import VAT remains a separate consideration.
To qualify for the new tariff treatment, goods must meet the applicable EU rules for U.S. origin. Simply shipping a product from a U.S. warehouse does not establish U.S. origin. Exporters should coordinate with their EU importer or customs representative to provide supporting origin information and evidence of direct transport or qualifying non-alteration when goods move through another country.
Separate rules apply to low-value e-commerce shipments. Since July 1, 2026, the EU has removed its €150 customs-duty exemption and introduced a temporary €3 duty per tariff category of goods in covered low-value consignments. This is not simply a charge per package, and eligibility for exceptions depends on the applicable tariff treatment and customs declaration method.
The EU’s 2025 retaliatory tariff measures against U.S. goods remain suspended as of October 2026, but they could be reactivated. Before quoting a landed price or shipping, check the EU’s TARIC database using the product’s classification, country of origin and planned import date, and confirm the applicable charges with your EU importer or customs representative.
The European Union continues to move in the direction of a single market, but U.S. exporters continue to face barriers to entry and challenges with the fragmentation of regulations, testing, and standards at the Member State level. In some industries, including information technology, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, telecommunications, legal services, and government procurement, trade barriers are more pronounced.
Other challenges for exporting to the EU include the following:
Despite these barriers, U.S. exporters of all sizes can absolutely be successful in the EU market with careful planning and assistance from agencies like the U.S. Commercial Service. Discussions are ongoing between the U.S. and the EU, specifically about improving transparency in developing regulatory procedures and standards. U.S. trade agencies, including the U.S. Department of Commerce, continue to work closely with the business community to ensure that the European Union and its Member States comply with their bilateral and multilateral trade obligations and to address market access problems affecting U.S. firms.
In almost all situations, the potential rewards of exporting to the EU outweigh any challenges exporters may face. Exporters should identify and cultivate business opportunities while building a strategy to minimize the risks. The U.S. International Trade Administration (ITA) suggests looking at specific countries to identify the best potential opportunities for exporters.
If you’re interested in exploring export opportunities in this region, there are plenty of resources you can lean on for help, including the U.S. Commercial Service office, trade missions, and chambers of commerce.
U.S. Commercial Service Offices
One of the first places to consider are your local and in-country U.S. Commercial Service offices. The Commercial Service in-country offices offer U.S. exporters business partners in the EU—boots on the ground in the country. Commercial service offices also include representation by an agent, distributors or partners who can provide essential local knowledge and contacts that can be critical for your success.
You can learn more about in-country offices in our article, Tapping into the U.S. Commercial Service's In-Country Offices.
District Export Councils (DECs)
DECs across the country help exporters by supporting trade and services that strengthen individual companies, stimulate U.S. economic growth, and create jobs. DEC members also serve as mentors to new exporters and provide advice to smaller companies.
Sponsored by state and local trade offices as well as commercial service offices, trade missions offer introductions to important contacts and networking opportunities. Check into them.
International Trade Administration
The ITA is an excellent resource to help you combat trade problems. ITA staff members are resident experts in advocating for U.S. businesses of all sizes. They customize their services to help solve your trade dilemmas as efficiently as possible. Plus, the ITA makes it easy to report a problem, allowing you to submit your report online.
Chambers of Commerce
Chambers of Commerce may also be a resource when exporting to the EU. You can learn more about various chambers and how they can help smooth the way for your export activities in our article, The Chamber of Commerce Role in Exporting.
The trade relationship between the United States and the European Union remains strong, but exporters should recognize that tariff schedules, trade agreements, customs procedures, and regulatory requirements can change over time. Recent years have seen increased attention on supply chain resilience, sustainability initiatives, and industry-specific trade measures that may affect certain products entering the European market.
As part of your export planning process, review current duty rates, import restrictions, product standards, and customs requirements before shipping. Staying informed about regulatory developments can help reduce compliance risks, avoid shipment delays, and ensure your goods reach customers without unexpected costs.
Accurate export documentation and attention to procedures are as critical in exporting to the EU as they are for exporting to any other country. An import license is not needed to import the majority of industrial goods into the EU; however, some industrial goods require import licenses as a result of controls imposed at national, EU and United Nations levels.
Documents you’ll need to export to the European Union from the U.S. will vary depending on your products, but may include:
* If a U.S. company wishes to submit a customs declaration, they must have an Economic Operator Registration and Identification (EORI) number, which they can request from the EU Member State to which they first export. Once a company receives their EORI number, they can use it for exports to any of the Member States.
It’s important to understand the regulations covering exports to the EU, especially export controls.
The first step in ensuring export compliance is determining who has jurisdiction over your goods: the U.S. Department of Commerce under the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) or the State Department's International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR).
If your goods fall under the jurisdiction of the Commerce Department—which most products do—you must determine if your export requires authorization from the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS, part of the Commerce Department). To make that determination, first answer the following questions:
There are three ways to classify your products for export controls: You can self-classify your products, submit a SNAP-R request for a ruling, or rely on the product vendor to provide the information. If you’re self-classifying, Shipping Solutions Product Classification Software makes the process easier than manually searching through codes and regulations. You can give it a try for free here.
By classifying your product correctly, you’ll be protecting yourself from potential fines, penalties and even jail time.
Next, companies must use the ECCN codes and reasons for control described above to determine whether or not there are any restrictions for exporting their products to specific countries. Once they know why their products are controlled, exporters should refer to the Commerce Country Chart in the EAR to determine if a license is required.
Although a relatively small percentage of all U.S. exports and reexports require a BIS license, virtually all exports and many reexports to embargoed destinations and countries designated as supporting terrorist activities require a license. Countries fitting that bill are Cuba, Iran and North Korea.
Part 746 of the EAR describes embargoed destinations and refers to certain additional controls imposed by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the Treasury Department.
Shipping Solutions Professional export documentation and compliance software includes an Export Compliance Module that uses the ECCN code for your product(s) and the destination country to tell you if an export license is required. If indicated, you must apply to BIS for an export license through the online Simplified Network Application Process Redesign (SNAP-R) before you can export your products.
There are export license exceptions, like low-value or temporary exports, that allow you to export or reexport, under stated conditions, items subject to the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) that would otherwise require a license. These license exceptions cover items that fall under the jurisdiction of the Department of Commerce, not items controlled by the State Department or some other agency.
Surprise! You may be an exporter without even knowing it! Deemed exports, or the disclosure of information or services rather than an actual product, is an important issue to pay attention to when exporting. A deemed export occurs when technology or source code (except encryption and object source code, which is separately addressed in the EAR) is released to a foreign national within the United States.
Sharing technology, reviewing blueprints, conducting tours of facilities, and other information disclosures are considered potential exports under the deemed export rule and should be handled accordingly.
Restricted party lists (also called denied party lists) are lists of organizations, companies or individuals that various U.S. agencies—and other foreign governments—have identified as parties that one can’t do business with. There are several reasons why a person or company may be added to a restricted party list. For example, they may be a terrorist organization or affiliated with such an organization; they may have a history of corrupt business practices; or they may otherwise pose a threat to national security.
Restricted party screening (or denied party screening) refers to the process in which a company checks a potential customer or business partner against one or more of the restricted party lists to ensure their potential partners are legally accepted. The primary restricted party lists in the United States are published by the Department of Commerce, Department of State, and Department of Treasury. However, several other agencies produce lists as well. These agencies recommend that companies perform restricted party screening periodically and repeatedly throughout the movement of goods in the supply chain.
When exporting to the EU, it’s imperative you check every single restricted party list every time you export because:
Shipping Solutions Restricted Party Screening Software makes it fast and easy to check hundreds of lists at once, and it provides detailed information about potential matches, so you can make an informed decision about what to do next. Give it a try for free.
The European Union offers tremendous opportunities for U.S. exporters, but success requires more than finding the right buyer. You also need to understand the documentation, compliance, tariff and regulatory requirements that apply to your products before they ship.
GLOBAL GATEWAY by Shipping Solutions brings everything together in one place. This all-in-one export management service combines expert compliance support, integrated export documentation and discounted international shipping in a single streamlined solution.
Whether you’re just beginning to export or already shipping worldwide, Global Gateway works like an extension of your logistics team—without the added overhead.
You don’t need to master every detail of international trade to succeed globally. You just need the right partner.
Schedule a free, no-obligation consultation to learn how we can support your exports, or watch our free, on-demand webinar, How to Export from the U.S. to the EU.
This is one in a series of articles exploring exporting to specific countries across the globe—we previously featured ASEAN countries, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, the EU, France, Germany, India, Israel, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Russia, South Korea, Taiwan and the United Kingdom.
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