The European Commission will formally advance its long-awaited trade pact with Mercosur—Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay—on Wednesday, initiating ratification by the EU’s 27 member states and Parliament.
If approved, it would become the EU’s largest free-trade agreement, covering tariffs, intellectual property, and more.
A modernized deal with Mexico is also expected this week.
The Mercosur agreement, politically settled last December, faces opposition from countries like France, concerned about increased beef and poultry imports threatening domestic agriculture.
The push comes amid strained EU-U.S. relations following President Trump’s tariffs.
A preliminary U.S.-EU trade deal imposes a 15% tariff on most EU imports while easing duties on U.S. goods.