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Lula presses Macron to unlock EU-Mercosur trade pact

Macron rejects the pact over lax environmental protections in Mercosur that he says would harm French farmers.

Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his wife Rosangela "Janja" da Silva arrive for a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron (not seen) at the Elysee Palace in Paris, as part of their state visit to France, June 5, 2025. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier
French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron welcome Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his wife Rosangela "Janja" da Silva as they arrive for a meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris, as part of their state visit to France, June 5, 2025. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier
French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron welcome Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his wife Rosangela "Janja" da Silva as they arrive for a meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris, as part of their state visit to France, June 5, 2025. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier
French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron welcome Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his wife Rosangela "Janja" da Silva as they arrive for a meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris, as part of their state visit to France, June 5, 2025. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier

Overview

  • During a state visit to Paris, Lula urged Macron to finalise the EU-Mercosur deal as a strategic response to US tariff threats under President Trump.
  • Macron argues that differences in environmental standards and a surge of lower-cost imports threaten French agriculture.
  • The agreement would eliminate tariffs between the EU and Mercosur members Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.
  • Ratification requires backing from at least 15 of 27 EU states representing 65 percent of the bloc’s population.
  • Germany, Spain and Portugal support the accord, but France is working to form a blocking minority within the EU.