EU Secures Historic Mercosur Trade Deal Amid Farmer Protests
The European Union has finalized its largest free trade agreement to date with Mercosur, a South American bloc comprising Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay. After over 25 years of negotiations, the deal crossed the approval threshold with support from 15 countries representing 65% of the EU population. Germany and Spain championed the pact as a strategic counterbalance to U.S. tariffs and Chinese supply chain dominance.
French farmers blocked highways in violent protests as Paris led opposition to the agreement, citing threats to agricultural sectors from cheap beef, poultry, and sugar imports. Austria, Hungary, Ireland, and Poland joined France in dissent, while Belgium abstained. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz hailed the vote as a milestone but criticized the protracted negotiation timeline.
