Brazilian president urges France to ratify EU-Mercosur trade deal

PARIS - Visiting Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Thursday called on France to ratify the trade agreement between the European Union (EU) and the South American trade bloc Mercosur.

"This agreement would be the best response that our regions could bring together amid the uncertainty created by the return of unilateralism and protectionism," Lula said during the joint press conference with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron.

For his part, Macron acknowledged that the agreement is "good for many sectors", but warned it poses a risk to agriculture in European countries.

The EU and Mercosur reached a comprehensive trade agreement in principle in 2019, and the two sides finalized negotiations in 2024.

According to French daily Le Monde, the agreement should allow the European Union to export more cars, machinery and spirits, in return for imports of South American meat, sugar, rice, honey, and soybean.