EU will be asked to ratify Mercosur deal in New Year

At least nine EU countries want the trade deal with South America

Wildfires which burned 12% of the vast, ecologically rich Pantanal wetland this year in west Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay will further turn the public against the EU-Mercosur trade deal. The EU could be asked to ratify the deal within months. Picture: Gustavo Basso/NurPhoto via Getty

Even as farmers await the Brexit outcome, they fear it could be followed in the first half of 2021 by a potentially even bigger trade shock, if the EU ratifies the Mercosur trade accord that would grant privileged access to South America’s largest trading bloc.

The EU-Mercosur Trade Agreement of 2019 will be presented to EU member states and the European Parliament for a vote of approval.