# Blog: Trading in incoherence? EU trade policy needs improving to give forests, communities and the climate a fair chance - Fern

> Fern cites its study finding that the EU imported €6 billion of soy, palm oil, beef and leather linked to illegal tropical deforestation in 2012. It reports that EU import duties on forest-risk commodities are low, such as 3.8% on palm oil for food use. The blog argues EU trade policy needs to better protect forests and communities.

- Date: 2017-06-26 · published 2017-06-26T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: policy · region EU · magnitude low
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/70530-blog-trading-in-incoherence-eu-trade-policy-needs-improving-to-give-forests
- Commodities: [Soybeans](https://feedsoft.ai/c/SOY.md), [Soybean Meal](https://feedsoft.ai/c/SBM.md), [Palm Oil](https://feedsoft.ai/c/PALMOIL.md)

## Why it matters

Low EU import duties mean trade policy is unlikely to change flows of soy or palm oil soon, so the price impact is minimal unless tariffs or rules are actually revised.

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| SOY | 2025-03-31 | [Rollins: We need to know trade impacts before deciding farm aid \| Agri-Pulse Communications, Inc.](https://feedsoft.ai/events/25555-rollins-we-need-to-know-trade-impacts-before-deciding-farm-aid-agri-pulse.md) | -4.5% | +2.8% |
| SOY | 2022-04-26 | [FSC’s position and 10 recommendations to improve the new EU rules for deforestation-free products \| fsc.org](https://feedsoft.ai/events/41870-fsc-s-position-and-10-recommendations-to-improve-the-new-eu-rules-for.md) | -1.7% | -1.0% |
| SOY | 2020-04-08 | [Forest related policy initiatives: How Covid-19 will affect them - Fern](https://feedsoft.ai/events/53660-forest-related-policy-initiatives-how-covid-19-will-affect-them-fern.md) | -1.5% | -2.8% |
| SOY | 2017-12-14 | [Mitigating climate change through well-managed EU forests and land: a provisional agreement with Parliament](https://feedsoft.ai/events/67491-mitigating-climate-change-through-well-managed-eu-forests-and-land-a.md) | -2.6% | -3.6% |
| SOY | 2020-08-03 | [Greenpeace calls on EU to regulate placing on market of commodities that pose risk to forests and ecosystems \| AGENCE EUROPE](https://feedsoft.ai/events/51645-greenpeace-calls-on-eu-to-regulate-placing-on-market-of-commodities-that-pose.md) | -3.0% | +5.9% |
| SBM | 2022-04-26 | [FSC’s position and 10 recommendations to improve the new EU rules for deforestation-free products \| fsc.org](https://feedsoft.ai/events/41870-fsc-s-position-and-10-recommendations-to-improve-the-new-eu-rules-for.md) | -2.5% | -6.5% |
| SBM | 2017-12-14 | [Mitigating climate change through well-managed EU forests and land: a provisional agreement with Parliament](https://feedsoft.ai/events/67491-mitigating-climate-change-through-well-managed-eu-forests-and-land-a.md) | -2.9% | -4.7% |
| SBM | 2020-08-03 | [Greenpeace calls on EU to regulate placing on market of commodities that pose risk to forests and ecosystems \| AGENCE EUROPE](https://feedsoft.ai/events/51645-greenpeace-calls-on-eu-to-regulate-placing-on-market-of-commodities-that-pose.md) | -3.2% | +4.3% |

## Sources

- fern.org: https://www.fern.org/publications-insight/article/blog-trading-in-incoherence-eu-trade-policy-needs-improving-to-give-forests-communities-and-the-climate-a-fair-chance-231/

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Data from Feedsoft AI (https://feedsoft.ai/). For information only; not investment advice.