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.