Event Summary
In December 2024, the European Union and the four countries of the Mercosur economic bloc (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay) finally agreed on a free trade agreement (FTA) that has been in the making for 25 years. It was concluded in 2019, but the signature was postponed because of European concerns over unchecked deforestation in the Amazon under former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro. Since then, the threat of a global trade war has increased, motivating countries to cultivate all the friends they can get and prompting some amendments to the FTA. But there is still resistance to the deal in some European countries, and it must be formally voted on this spring. Are we finally there, or will Europe once again fail to deepen trade relations with Latin America and sink the opportunity to create a market of over 750 million consumers?
Joining this episode of Trade Winds are:
HOST
Cecilia Malmström
Nonresident Senior Fellow, Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE)
GUESTS
Tatiana Lacerda Prazeres
Secretary of Foreign Trade, Brazil
Rupert Schlegelmilch
Visiting Professor, College of Europe; Chair, Investment Committee, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development; Former Trade Negotiator, European Commission, Brussels
Video
Series
About This Series
Trade Winds explores the future of international trade—the challenges, possibilities, and where international efforts are headed—in a monthly virtual event series hosted by Cecilia Malmström. Join the discussion to learn from global policymakers, practitioners, business leaders from different sectors, experts, and more.