Exactly 20 years after they started, representatives from the European Union and Mercosur concluded negotiations on one of the biggest trade deals in history. The EU is the South American bloc’s first major trade partner, and the new agreement is the largest ever for both sides.
The US has imposed tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from the EU, Canada and Mexico. These major US trading partners and traditional allies quickly condemned the measures and vowed retaliation. Here’s what US-based multinationals should be most concerned about now.
Trade-agreement negotiations between the EU and the four South American countries that comprise Mercosur have dragged on for 17 years, but they’ve taken on a new urgency due to US protectionist policies. The two sides aim to finalize an agreement by the end of the year.