German Chamber of Industry and Commerce: Germany must push for Mercosur deal

Berlin (dpa) – From the perspective of the Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce (DIHK), the federal government should push decisively for the conclusion of the EU-Mercosur agreement. “The EU must not miss the opportunity to forge closer ties with important trade and raw material partners in South America and to reduce existing trade barriers,” said DIHK foreign trade chief Volker Treier according to the statement. The French government had once again called for improvements and a postponement on Sunday.

Treier said: “The federal government should therefore also clearly and decisively advocate ratification.” The agreement offers great economic potential through tariff reductions and market openings. “After more than 25 years of negotiations, companies in Germany expect the European Council and the European Parliament to finally conclude the agreement with the Mercosur partner countries.”

Who is supposed to conclude the agreement

The deal is intended to boost trade between the EU and the four Mercosur states Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay. According to the EU Commission, the free trade area with more than 700 million inhabitants would be the largest of its kind in the world. 

In fact, the decision to sign the agreement was supposed to be made before the EU summit on Thursday and Friday. But it is still not certain whether the necessary majority will be reached. The plan was then to sign the agreement at the weekend on the sidelines of a Mercosur summit in Brazil. (December 15)