By Brazil Stock Guide – Brazil’s trade promotion agency sees growing uncertainty around the Mercosur-European Union trade deal amid mounting political resistance in Europe and legal scrutiny of the agreement, according to ApexBrasil President Jorge Viana.
Speaking on Thursday (22), Viana said the deal — which links two blocs representing a combined gross domestic product of about $22 trillion — remains strategically important for both sides, but faces significant opposition within the European Union. He noted that safeguards embedded in the agreement are designed to prevent market distortions, countering criticism from protected sectors.
Viana said he discussed the agreement’s path in Brazil with Senate President Davi Alcolumbre (União-AP) on Wednesday (21). According to Viana, Alcolumbre indicated that congressional approval of the pact will be treated as a priority in 2026.
“He will make this issue the main item on the agenda when Congress resumes after the recess. This is the top priority,” Viana said. “We will see whether he acts together with leaders of Mercosur legislatures to approve it as soon as possible, in Brazil and across Mercosur. It is a polite way of putting pressure on the Europeans.”
The Apex chief echoed Vice President Geraldo Alckmin’s view that Brazil wants to accelerate the domestic ratification process. Viana said opposition to the agreement spans ideological lines.
“More extreme sectors on the left and more extreme sectors on the right came together, creating a kind of collision against the agreement,” he said.
Viana added that the European Council is expected to take a position on Thursday regarding the next steps for the Mercosur-EU deal. He noted that legal reviews of trade agreements are not unprecedented in the bloc, citing the EU-Canada accord as an example.
He stressed that Brazil has no role in pressuring European courts or pursuing provisional implementation of the agreement, saying those decisions rest solely with European institutions.
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