>

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
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.