Europe’s decision to ban meat imports from several Brazilian suppliers affects 30 to 35% of the country’s exports to the bloc and will force companies to find new markets while officials work to reverse the measure, Brazil’s Agriculture Minister said.
Brazil’s largest chicken processor BRF SA has been allowed to resume production at nine plants that export to the European Union, the Ministry of Agriculture said on Wednesday, a day before a potential EU ban related to a food safety scandal. The ministry clarified that one more plant had been cleared, referring to a firm appearing in the document as SHB Comércio e Indústria de Alimentos SA, which is also controlled by BRF.
The pound has continued its recent strong run against the dollar pushing firmly above US$ 1.43. It is the seventh session in a row that the pound has made gains against the US currency. The strong run means that, among the G10 group of rich nations, the UK has the best-performing currency this year.
The controversial ‘Clause 24’ veto granted to Spain by the European Union in its Brexit negotiating guidelines reflects the “unanimous solidarity” of the remaining EU members with the Spanish position on Gibraltar, the EU’s Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, said in an interview.
The EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier has said the UK can reverse its position on leaving the single market and customs union up until the end of the Brexit transition period. The EU official gave Theresa May until December 31 2020 to change her mind on Britain exiting the pair as it withdraws from the EU, saying: “So long as they have not left, during the transition period, everything is still possible.”
European Council President Donald Tusk has said Brexit makes him furious, and called on Europe to unite during a speech in Dublin. The statesman warned it would take very little time to demolish the structures of peace and unity built up in the continent.
Diverging from European Union rules after Brexit will mean more costs than benefits for British business, a report by the CBI employers' group says. In a survey of 23 industry sectors, the vast majority preferred continued close alignment with EU regulations.
Quitting the European Union means the UK will have to go back to the drawing board over devolution, constitutional experts have warned. Wrangles over sharing out cash for farmers will be one of the biggest challenges ministers face, according to the Institute for Government (IfG).
Spain hopes to reach an agreement with the UK over Gibraltar by the summer, its foreign minister has said. Alfonso Dastis said Spain would defend our position but the two sides were working towards an agreement as soon as possible. The UK says informal talks are going on about Gibraltar's post-Brexit future with Spain.
European officials said this week that significant obstacles remain to a long-delayed trade deal between the European Union and Mercosur, even as South American officials expressed optimism a deal would be finalized soon.