Uruguay

“Let’s be pragmatic, we are a small country in a complicated world, we need trade partners,” foreign minister tells POLITICO. 

The Americas, China and Europe have developed playbooks to react to the aggressive tariffs that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump is threatening. Retaliation is inevitable.

Christian Democrat Friedrich Merz hopes to revive talks on a broad trade deal with the U.S.

A legal fight looms as EU and Mercosur countries don’t see eye to eye on a key clause of their fresh trade deal.

His choice for Japan was previously the U.S. ambassador to Portugal.

With global free-traders on the back foot amid Donald Trump’s return, the U.K. is placing its bets on the tongue-twisting CPTPP.

France hopes Italy can tip the scales against the EU-Mercosur trade deal. Giorgia Meloni may have other ideas.

POLITICO brings you the new elements of Europe’s trade deal with South America struck last week.

Ursula von der Leyen announces South American trade accord, delighting her fellow Germans but infuriating France which calls the deal unacceptable.

Ursula von der Leyen granted the wish of her native Germany by flying off to seal an accord with the Mercosur bloc. France, which fiercely opposes the deal, is in uproar.

“The finish line of the EU-Mercosur agreement is in sight. Let’s work, let’s cross it,” says Ursula von der Leyen after arriving for Mercosur summit.

EU trade chief is taking up the last sensitive items with his Mercosur counterparts to achieve a pact in the coming days. 

Tangles over Taiwan mean Costa Rica will instead become front-runner to join the 12-nation CPTPP, senior officials from member nations tell POLITICO.

The EU’s trade deal with South America is small potatoes for agriculture.

“Under the current conditions this deal is not acceptable for France,” French PM says in Brussels.

Even as farmers protest, France will find it hard to stop the deal with South America.

Luxembourg nominee defends both the CAP and the proposed trade deal with the Mercosur bloc of South American countries.

Signing off on the Mercosur accord would be a “political mistake” that could undermine European cohesion, trade minister Sophie Primas warns.

A French diplomat described the proposal as “an interesting option.”

An already weakened Macron risks outrage from farmers as the rest of the EU races to get Mercosur deal done.  

The French leader was able to stall a Latin American trade deal in January. With negotiators again closing in on an agreement, he will struggle to repeat that feat.

Attempt to fend off influx of Chinese electric vehicles puts chances of EU-Mercosur trade accord at the November G20 summit in doubt.

China contacted lawmakers in a bid to pressure them to not attend a democracy summit on the island of Taiwan.

He’ll also stop off in the overseas territory of French Guiana.