Poland Blocks Brazilian Coffee Shipment Over Quality Issues

Poland's Agricultural and Food Quality Inspection Agency blocked 63,000 kilograms of raw green coffee from entering the country after inspectors found damaged beans and live pests in a shipment halted in Poznań. The agency announced the action on its Facebook page and stated that the inspection followed standard commercial quality rules under existing national procedures.

Polish far-right MEP Ewa Zajączkowska-Hernik and former French MEP Florian Philippot connected the rejected shipment to the EU-Mercosur trade agreement that began provisional application on 1 May. " Philippot described the coffee as "worm-infested," though inspectors did not identify the specific pests. Polish commentary site wPolityce repeated the claim that the shipment was worm-infested.

Green coffee already enters the European Union tariff-free.

UN Comtrade data show Brazil exported more than 15 million kilograms of green coffee to Poland in 2024. A 2011 International Coffee Organization report and a February 2026 United States Department of Agriculture analysis both confirm that non-decaffeinated green coffee has long faced zero tariffs when imported into the EU.

In response to Euronews, IJHARS said the shipment underwent routine inspection and did not enter under any preferential terms tied to the EU-Mercosur agreement. The agency reported issuing 95 blocking decisions for imported food shipments in 2025, affecting 121 batches from non-EU countries.

Brazil's ambassador to the EU, Pedro Miguel da Costa e Silva, told Euronews that "Green coffee already entered the EU under a zero tariff rate. " He noted Brazil has exported green coffee to Europe since the 19th century. Critics of the EU-Mercosur deal continue to raise concerns about agricultural imports, but available evidence shows no link between this shipment and the agreement.