EU-Mercosur partnership agreement
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Trade and Economic Security

Factsheet: EU-Mercosur partnership agreement

Country or region
  • Mercosur
Trade topics
  • Negotiations and agreements

KEY FACTS ABOUT MERCOSUR

  • Total population is 270 million people

  • €84 billion of EU exports with great growth potential (2023 services, 2024 goods)

  • €388 billion in EU investment stocks in 2023

  • The 6th largest economy outside the EU with an annual GDP of €2.7 trillion

  • More than 30,000 small EU companies export to Mercosur

  • EU exports to Mercosur support 756,000 EU jobs

KEY BENEFITS FOR EU COMPANIES

UPHOLDING THE EU’S RIGOROUS FOOD SAFETY STANDARDS

  • Any product entering the EU market must comply with the EU’s stringent food safety standards. The agreement does not change that.
  • The agreement reaffirms the ‘precautionary principle’: both sides are free to adopt measures to protect human, animal and plant health, including in situations where scientific information is inconclusive.
  • The agreement will help address antimicrobial resistance, promote animal welfare standards, and reinforce the flow of information to keep unsafe products out of the market.
Farmer harvesting crop

DEFENDING THE INTERESTS OF EU FARMERS

AMBITIOUS SUSTAINABILITY COMMITMENTS

ENHANCE SUSTAINABLE TRADE AND INVESTMENT IN CRITICAL RAW MATERIALS

  • A secure and sustainable supply of critical raw materials is at the core of the EU’s green and digital transitions.
  • The agreement will lower tariffs on critical raw materials and derived products, incentivising Mercosur exports to the EU and cheaper imports for the EU.
  • It will provide more security and predictability of supply chains.
  • It will ensure one of the highest sustainability standards in critical raw materials trade and investment.