Guides · From India
Exporting food from India to Poland
Indian food, spice, tea, coffee and FMCG manufacturers looking at Poland.
In short
- The EU–India trade agreement was concluded on 27 January 2026; it still has to be signed and ratified. Until then the standard duties or the GSP rates apply.
- Since 1 January 2026 the EU has suspended GSP preferences for many Indian industrial product groups until the end of 2028; the suspended groups are mainly industrial goods, but check your own code.
- Instant coffee, shrimp, tea, rice, coffee and spices are Poland's main food imports from India.
- India has far more EU food alerts than other Asian origins, mostly pesticide residues and ethylene oxide. Several Indian foods are on the list of more frequent border checks.
What Poland buys from India
The EU and India concluded their trade agreement on 27 January 2026. It lowers EU duties on tea, spices, fish and processed foods (rice, sugar and dairy are excluded). Signing is expected in late 2026, then ratification.
- Coffee extracts and instant coffee doubled, from €19.8 million in 2021 to €41.6 million in 2025: the largest of the lines below.
- Shrimp reached €14.3 million in 2025, the highest in five years. Rice almost tripled in one year, from €2.4 million in 2024 to €6.7 million.
- Tea stays steady at €12–19 million a year. Roasted and green coffee grew four times, from €1.3 million to €5.2 million.
- India has far more EU food alerts than the other countries here: 1,968 in 2020–2025, mostly pesticide residues. Border checks are the main risk, not demand.
- Coffee extracts, instant coffeeHS 21012025: €41.6 mJan–Aug 2026: €21.2 m -28%
- Shrimp and other crustaceansHS 03062025: €14.3 mJan–Aug 2026: €12.1 m +46%
- TeaHS 09022025: €13.9 mJan–Aug 2026: €5.5 m -42%
- RiceHS 10062025: €6.7 mJan–Aug 2026: €4.9 m -1%
- CoffeeHS 09012025: €5.2 mJan–Aug 2026: €3.4 m -18%
- Ginger, turmeric, curry and other spicesHS 09102025: €3.1 mJan–Aug 2026: €2.6 m +20%
- Prepared fruit and nutsHS 20082025: €2.8 mJan–Aug 2026: €1.4 m -32%
- Pepper and chilliHS 09042025: €2.3 mJan–Aug 2026: €1.9 m +9%
Imports into Poland, € (Eurostat Comext), latest month Aug 2026. Change: vs the same months a year earlier.
India food at the EU border
Ethylene oxide alone caused 619 alerts; nuts and seeds (including sesame), spices and food supplements are the most affected groups. Several Indian foods are on the EU list of products with more frequent border checks (Implementing Regulation 2019/1793). Test every lot in an accredited lab and send the report with the shipment. In 2026 so far, 108 shipments from India were stopped at the EU border. The most common reasons for EU food alerts, 2020–2025 (number of alerts):
Latest alerts
- 26 Oct Information: Cookies · Glycidol and 3-MCPD
- 22 Oct Information: Rice · Ochratoxin A
- 22 Oct Border rejection: Cut Mango Pickle · Presence of Ethylene Oxide
- 22 Oct Border rejection: Chili crushed · Aflatoxins
- 20 Oct Information: Rice · Exceedance of aflatoxin
Duties now and after the agreement
Today Indian goods pay the standard EU duty or the GSP rate where it still applies; GSP requires a statement on origin by an exporter registered in the EU's REX system. The concluded agreement lowers EU duties on tea, spices, fish and processed foods; rice, sugar and dairy are excluded. Check your code in Access2Markets and follow the signing and ratification in our Regulatory digest.
Next steps
The general route, documents and label rules are in How to export food to Poland. For your type of product:
Official sources
- Access2Markets: EU duties and rules by product code (European Commission)
- Foods with more frequent border checks, Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/1793 (consolidated)
- Pesticide residue limits, Regulation (EC) No 396/2005
- Contaminant limits, Regulation (EU) 2023/915
This guide is a plain-language overview, not legal, tax or customs advice. Rules change: check the official text and your product code before you ship.