Trade

Here we go again? Last weekend saw yet another shock to the system, as the US and Israel launched an armed attack on Iran: the last week on the blog has seen some initial reactions. These are joined by analyses of the hard-fought (and already faltering?) EU-Mercosur trade agreement, regional shifts in dispute settlement under UNCLOS, an apparently…

On 17 January 2026, the EU and Mercosur signed an ambitious trade and cooperation package composed of two instruments: a Partnership Agreement (EMPA) and an Interim Trade Agreement (iTA). After more than 20 years of negotiations, this deal has been praised as a major stepping stone for extending the EU’s economic and geopolitical influence worldwide, particularly in…

Many heads of state and government from European and South American countries, as well as representatives of the European Union at the highest level, have hailed the fact that, after three decades of negotiations, the EU has finally concluded its free trade agreement with Mercosur. However, the ovation has not been unanimous. Some countries, such as France,…