Sealing a free trade agreement with South American bloc Mercosur after 20 years of talks is the European Union’s top priority, EU trade chief Cecilia Malmstrom said on Thursday. Sealing a free trade agreement with South American bloc Mercosur after 20 years of talks is the European Union’s top priority, EU trade chief Cecilia Malmstrom said on Thursday. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said a week ago that Mercosur would soon sign a trade deal with the EU. "For the EU Commission to ignore the Brexit implications for beef and proceed with a Mercosur deal to import more Brazilian beef is highly irresponsible." He said a no deal Brexit would take the EU beef sector from 102pc to 116pc self sufficiency, with disastrous consequences for beef prices and farm incomes.

Source: Irish Independent June 14, 2019 05:03 UTC