February 28, 2014
Brazil supports Mercosur-EU trade agreement
Brazilian business in particular was united in its support of an EU-Mercosur trade deal 15 years after the first talks, according to Katia Abreu, president of the Brazilian Confederation of Agriculture and Livestock.
Mercosur members Uruguay and Paraguay are also ready for a deal. However, it is not clear whether Argentina, going through a protectionist cycle, is fully prepared to open its market.
"Argentina today is a stumbling block" Abreu told a news briefing in Brussels. Mercosur members are set to meet on March 7 to discuss the extent to which they are prepared to lift tariffs on EU imports. Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay have agreed to do so on more than 90% of goods, Abreu said. That level is considered a minimum for doing business with the EU. Reluctant Argentina stood at between 80% and 90%, she said.
EU and Mercosur negotiators will hold a meeting on March 21.
Abreu said the farming sector stands to gain from a free trade deal, with Brazil a leading exporter of soy, beef and poultry, but other Brazilian industries had been won round to the need for an EU trade deal after the launch of EU-US trade talks.