Merchandise 1 of 4 Polish farmers maintain a banner as they protest towards the Mercosur commerce deal within the heart of Warsaw, Poland, January 9, 2026. REUTERS/Aleksandra Szmigiel
[1/4]Polish farmers maintain a banner as they protest towards the Mercosur commerce deal within the heart of Warsaw, Poland, January 9, 2026. REUTERS/Aleksandra Szmigiel Purchase Licensing Rights
BRUSSELS, Jan 9 (Reuters) – EU ambassadors gave provisional approval on Friday to the signing of the bloc’s largest ever free trade accord with South American group Mercosur, over 25 years since negotiations started and after months of wrangling to safe key member states’ backing, in line with three EU diplomats and sources.
The European Fee, which concluded negotiations a 12 months in the past, and international locations equivalent to Germany and Spain argue it’s a important a part of an EU push to unlock new markets to offset enterprise misplaced from U.S. tariffs and to cut back reliance on China by securing entry to important minerals.
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Opponents led by France, the European Union’s largest agricultural producer, say the settlement will jack up imports of low cost meals merchandise, together with beef, poultry and sugar, undercutting home farmers. Farmers have launched protests throughout the EU, blocking French and Belgian highways and marching in Poland on Friday.
Ambassadors from the EU’s 27 member states indicated their governments’ positions on Friday with no less than 15 international locations representing 65% of the bloc’s whole inhabitants voting in favour, as required for approval, the EU sources and diplomats mentioned. EU capitals have been given till 5 p.m. Brussels time (1600 GMT) to supply written affirma
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