News of deal

France says won't ratify Mercosur trade deal in 'current form'

04-02-2021 17:01 France says it will not ratify trade deal between the European Union and the Mercosur bloc "in its current form."

British, Euro leaders sign Brexit deal as MPs approve ratification

30-12-2020 14:15 Britain and the European Union sign post-Brexit trade deal, setting their seal on a drawn-out divorce just hours before the looming deadline.

Key EU states fear Mercosur pact may hurt Amazon

21-09-2020 08:22 EU commissioner admits not all EU nations "are aligned" on trade deal with Mercosur nations, as fears historic accord could hurt the Amazon grow.

Boris Johnson’s move to break international law sparks outrage

08-09-2020 19:16 British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s threat to break international law over Brexit was slammed by members of his own party on Tuesday, who warned it will damage the UK's global standing.

Iran pledges to expand nuclear cooperation after IAEA rebuke

25-08-2020 13:20 Iran vows to expand its cooperation with UN nuclear watchdog, weeks after being rebuked by the body for failing to provide access to two sites suspected of hosting past nuclear activity.

Merkel expresses 'significant doubts' over EU-Mercosur trade pact

21-08-2020 14:12 German chancellor expresses "significant doubts" over landmark EU-Mercosur free trade deal, citing concerns over the devastating deforestation of the Amazon rainforest. 

Economists praise debt deal but warn challenges on horizon

04-08-2020 18:38 Experts welcome government's agreement with creditors, but warn that Argentina must now correct imbalances and other issues.

Argentina reaches US$65-billion debt restructuring deal with creditors

04-08-2020 08:59 Government says in a statement that deal with key creditors would provide “significant debt relief.” While it statement didn’t provide a net-present value for the agreement, sources say the deal is worth about 54.8 cents on the dollar.

Opposition slams government's decision to pull out of Mercosur trade talks

26-04-2020 09:34 Citing economic policy priorities and the effects of the Covid-19 crisis, President Alberto Fernandez’s administration has withdrawn from ongoing and future talks involving the Mercosur trade bloc.

Trump’s oil deal: the inside story of how a price war ended

13-04-2020 16:13 After a week-long marathon of calls between world leaders and video conferences featuring dozens of energy ministers, this is how the 2020 oil price war was finally ended.

EU believes Argentina and Mercosur will ratify agreement

26-02-2020 15:17 Brussels maintains that the free trade agreement is "very balanced" and will boost the growth of the economy.

Big oil warned Trump team China trade deal was 'unrealistic'

13-02-2020 14:16 Industry leaders and advisers privately warned the Trump administration that the US will struggle to produce energy products that China has committed to buy in a new trade deal, raising doubts about one of the president’s signature economic achievements.

Rafael Grossi takes charge of UN nuclear body

02-12-2019 07:43 Argentine diplomat will be confirmed as the new director general of the UN's nuclear watchdog the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Monday, with the growing crisis over Iran's nuclear programme at the top of his in-tray.

Iran says it hopes new UN nuclear chief Grossi will act 'neutrally'

31-10-2019 10:04 Just a day after his election, Tehran begins to apply pressure on Rafael Grossi, the veteran Argentine diplomat who has been tasked with leading the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Mercosur reaches EFTA trade deal with European countries

23-08-2019 22:13 The agreement with the European Free Trade Association formed by Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein, comes two months after Mercosur sealed a landmark trade deal with the European Union.

Macron: France won't back EU-Mercosur deal over Bolsonaro's climate 'lies'

23-08-2019 10:19 Outraged over the Amazon fires, French president brands Brazilian counterpart a liar and threatens to block EU-Mercosur trade deal "under these conditions."

EU slams 'misinformation' about Mercosur trade deal

15-07-2019 16:23 Accord has raised alarm in some European countries that the continent will be flooded with beef and other agricultural imports, subjecting domestic farmers to unfair competition and consumers to unsafe food.

Latin America and free trade score a win with EU-Mercosur deal

09-07-2019 15:22 Who knew that even as China and the United States played chicken with international trade, 31 nations with a tenth of world population and a fourth of its wealth would agree to abide by global rules and swap goods freely across the Atlantic?

by Mac Margolis

Macri scores brownie points overseas

29-06-2019 10:16 It is important the Mercosur team make sure that the final conditions of the agreement generate opportunities rather than dependencies. It seems to be the case: falling tariffs for the industrial and agricultural sectors are what Latin America needs in order to take advantage of its competitive advantage.

by Agustino Fontevecchia

EU tells Macri, Bolsonaro: There's still work left to do on Mercosur trade deal

07-06-2019 10:19 EU officials brush off suggestions from presidents of Argentina and Brazil that a sweeping free-trade deal with the European bloc is close to being signed.