>

Guess the Xini is out of the bottle now.
A deal with between the EU and Mercosur has been on the table for so long but never quite seems to materialise. Though this is a good way for Lula to frame it, it would give Mercosur leverage versus the Chinese negotiating position (which is something that's in the EU's interest as well). >

The unanswered question is if it will get past French protectionism this time. >

Can you explain this further? Because I think I read that the French were not happy with the US Inflation Reduction Act because they considered it protectionist as well (and it'll hurt their economy). It seems a bit two-faced? >

The French are and always have been two faces. They love protectionism at home and free markets for their goods. >

Not really fair to single out the French for this IMO, practically every nation that can get away with it has protectionist policies, even the US. >

Not a bad idea to deal first with EU before starting negotiation with China. >

This is the best tl;dr I could make, original reduced by 67%. (I'm a bot)


Montevideo - Brazil President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Wednesday called for South American trade bloc Mercosur to urgently seal a free trade agreement with the European Union before negotiating with China.
Lula made the comments in Uruguay, which has been pursuing its own commercial deal with Beijing, despite opposition from Mercosur.
"We will step up our discussions with the EU and sign this agreement so that we can then discuss a deal between China and Mercosur," Lula said in Montevideo, where he met with President Luis Lacalle Pou.


Extended Summary | FAQ | Feedback | Top keywords: Mercosur^#1 agreement^#2 Uruguay^#3 trade^#4 deal^#5 >

Brazil have been trying that for a long time already, if EU doesn't want it, so search for someone else that wants to negotiate. Such a lame position to keep waiting for EU for more than a decade already... >

The deal finished negotiation years ago but due to the environment-harming practices of the Bolsonaro Administration ratification was frozen. Now with Lula in power there's a hope of rejuvenating the process. >

Nop, it was never the reason for it, it was always the lobby from agriculture and food industry from some countries and the environment was just a great scape goat. Doesn't matter what is the president, that deal isn't going to happen while their lobbies keep their pressure there. >

Holy shit what the fuck? >

I mean, given how eager China is to fuck around with other people’s ports, that’s probably wise >


other people’s ports

This myth really needs to die. 
Sri Lanka offered those ports to the US, Japan, South Korea and EU, once they realised their economy couldnt handle it. China was the last one they asked.
Canada was the first to do a survey regarding a additional port in Sri Lanka, and concluded that, while profitable. They would most likely get outbidded by EU. Sri Lanka then offered the above nations to build that new port which again, nobody apart from China accepted. 
Thats pretty much the only case where China has "Taken" a port from a nation. And it would have all been avoidable if Sri Lanka didnt bungle their own economy. >

China only buys what's offered for sale.
Not to say they don't fuck around (they do, a lot), but in a Competative Free MMarket Capitalism that's how it goes. Can't have your xenophobic cake and eat it too, think about the economy! >

One of those is certainly more reliable than the other.
And because this is Reddit; it’s the EU. >

This seems like an implicit admission that China trade is more important to them.  They wantto have a deal with the EU in hand to negotiate a better deal with China, rather than the other way around.   Seems like something you would want to keep quiet about.