EU-Mercosur deal ready for vote by member states and European Parliament
BRUSSELS – This was announced on Wednesday by EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas and Commissioner (Trade) Maroš Šefčovič.
The European Commission and the Mercosur countries reached a deal in December after more than twenty years of negotiations. It is still unclear whether all EU member states will agree to the agreement. Countries like France are concerned that their own agriculture will suffer due to easier imports from South American countries. There are also concerns about food safety.
The European Commission has tried to accommodate the countries in the proposal by setting a limit on certain products. For example, the import of beef from these countries cannot exceed 1.5 percent of the EU’s production of it. For chicken, that limit is 1.3 percent. Regarding food safety, the European Commission states that products from Mercosur must also comply with the Union’s strict food requirements, but it has not yet provided specifics.
According to the Commission, the trade deal creates the largest “free trade zone in the world, with a market of more than 700 million consumers.” With the deal, the Commission expects exports to the Mercosur countries to increase by 39 percent (49 billion). Brussels particularly anticipates a large export of agricultural products, but also cars and pharmaceutical products.
The deal with the South American countries is important for the Commission to create more trade flows, as trade with the United States stagnates due to import tariffs under President Donald Trump. President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen calls the deal “an important milestone for the economic future of the EU.”
Furthermore, the Commission also proposes an update to the trade agreement with Mexico. It has been agreed to suspend tariffs on agricultural products such as cheese, poultry, pork, pasta, apples, jam, chocolate, and wine. It should also become easier to import certain raw materials from Mexico.
To implement the proposal for Mercosur and Mexico, a large majority of the European Parliament and member states is needed.
(September 3, 2025)
