The commercial war unleashed by Donald Trump With the application of tariffs, as a collateral consequence, to give the impulse just to the agreement between the MERCOSUR and the European Union, That has been delay for years. As France had said, which historically was one of the toughest negotiators, now other countries in the old continent block, joined in favor of advancing.
Finland and Sweden advocate developing free trade with other countries in front of tariffs, and defend the entry into force of the agreement with the Mercosur countries, said Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen on Tuesday.
In Finland, “we are in favor of the opening of new commercial channels and the study of new free trade agreements with other parts of the world, and the European Union is doing a fantastic work by opening new negotiations,” Valtonen said with his Swedish counterpart, Maria Malmer Steargard.
“We must also fully apply the free trade agreement with Mercosur, which has just been negotiated,” he added.
The Swedish minister said he is “completely agreed” with Valtonen’s statements.
The European Commission negotiated in December an agreement with Mercosur – integrated by Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay – that would create a market of 700 million people.
But France leads a group of European countries that oppose their ratification. The French Minister of Agriculture, Annie Genevard, warned Tuesday that the pact is not “a remedy” to Trump’s tariffs.
If ratified, the EU, the first commercial partner of Mercosur, could more easily export cars, machinery and pharmaceutical products, while the South American block could export more meat, sugar, soy, honey, etc.
The president of the United States signed on Wednesday a decree to launch a minimum customs rate of 10% for all imports that reach the country, and 20% for products from the EU.
Source: Ambito
