
Uruguayan President Yamandú Orsi expressed disapproval over the absence of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva during the signing of the landmark free trade agreement between the European Union (EU) and the Mercosur bloc, held in Asunción on January 17.

The free trade agreement between the European Union (EU) and the Mercosur bloc (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay) could help turn South America into a major player in the global market for critical minerals and rare earths, EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič said in an interview with EFE from Asunción.

The European Union and South America’s Mercosur bloc signed their long-negotiated association and free trade agreement on Saturday in Paraguay, with Argentina’s President Javier Milei attending the ceremony and Brazil’s Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva absent, represented instead by his foreign minister.

On January 17, 2026, the Mercosur bloc and the European Union (EU) will formalize a comprehensive association and free trade agreement in Asunción, Paraguay, marking the culmination of nearly 26 years of negotiations, according to international and regional news outlets.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen agreed on Friday that the free trade agreement between Mercosur and the European Union (EU), due to be signed Saturday in Asunción, will benefit global trade, democracy and multilateralism, EFE reported.

A qualified majority of European Union (EU) member states voted Friday to approve the landmark Free Trade Agreement with the Southern Common Market (Mercosur). The decision marks a historic geopolitical shift, positioning the EU to counter rising US tariffs and Chinese competition, even as it ignites a firestorm of domestic unrest in France.

The feasibility of the long-awaited Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the Southern Common (Market) and the European Union (EU) seems to be just hours away from its all-or-nothing hour, as France, Poland, Hungary, and Ireland have confirmed they would vote against it.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva issued a sharp ultimatum to European leaders on Wednesday, declaring that if the long-awaited EU-Mercosur Free Trade Agreement (FTA) is not signed this Saturday, he will abandon negotiations for the remainder of his presidency.

The French National Assembly voted unanimously on Thursday to reject the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the European Union (EU) and the Southern Common Market (Mercosur), sending a strong, non-binding message to President Emmanuel Macron to withhold his approval.

Uruguay’s Economy Minister Gabriel Oddone said Tuesday in Madrid that he was strongly confident that the long-delayed Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the European Union (EU) and the Southern Common Market (Mercosur) will be signed shortly. Additionally, he voiced his concerns over the escalating military tensions in the Caribbean.