Share FacebookTwitterWhatsAppPinterestLinkedinCopy URLTelegramEmailTumblrReddItPrintKoo ASUNCION (Paraguay), Jan 18: The European Union and the Mercosur bloc of South American countries formally signed a long-sought free trade agreement on Saturday, strengthening commercial ties in the face of rising protectionism and trade tensions around the world. The signing ceremony in Paraguay’s capital, Asuncion, caps more than a quarter-century of torturous negotiations. It marks a major geopolitical victory for the EU in an age of American tariffs and surging Chinese exports, expanding the bloc’s foothold in a resource-rich region increasingly contested by Washington and Beijing.
