“Avec l’entrée en vigueur, le 1er de ce mois, de l’accord de libre-échange entre l’UE et le Mercosur, l’Europe a pris une bonne décision après avoir épuisé toutes les autres options.”
The prolonged 25-year negotiation period reflects how international commerce has grown increasingly protectionist. The World Trade Organization’s appellate mechanisms remain blocked since 2019, leaving countries to resort to indirect tactics circumventing trade agreements, with the European Commission identifying 410 non-tariff barriers across 67 nations.
European Union objectives regarding strategic autonomy, industrial competitiveness, and innovation hinge on supply chain resilience and limiting economic influence from adversarial actors. Building agreements with potential allies diversifies sourcing and addresses strategic dependencies in agriculture, defense, energy, security, and critical minerals—essential to the bloc’s stability.
