Brazil Finance Minister says EU-Mercosur trade deal is a geopolitical priority

19/12/2025 7:19

Brazilian Finance Minister Fernando Haddad said on Thursday it was a priority to press ahead with a trade agreement between the European Union and

South America's Mercosur bloc, as it would carry geopolitical implications.



The deal, approved last December after nearly 25 years of negotiations but not yet signed, has faced renewed opposition, with France and Italy saying they are not ready to support it.



Speaking at a press conference in Brasilia, Haddad said he sent a message to French President Emmanuel Macron stating that there is "much more at stake than trade" in the agreement.



"The deal was a political chorus, a clear signal to the world that we cannot return to an environment of tension between two closed blocs," Haddad said he told Macron. "We need to open this field in the geopolitical sphere."



Macron replied "very kindly," according to Haddad, but said further talks were needed.