Mercosur-EU: The Great Agricultural Leap at Stake
Sourse: dairynews.today
The Mercosur-EU agreement opens the European market to agriculture, but the attached safeguards create tension in the final stretch.
The Mercosur-EU agreement reaches its decisive stage after more than two decades of negotiation. For South American agriculture, it represents a preferential key access to a market of 450 million consumers. The pact's magnitude is historic, potentially adding up to $30 billion in annual exports, with half in agribusiness products. The EU will eliminate tariffs on 93% of regional sales.
Beef, dairy, rice, honey, juices, and wines lead the quotas. In dairy, there are allocations of 30,000 tons of milk powder, 30,000 tons of cheese, and 10,000 tons of whey, along with unprecedented quotas for beef and poultry. Optimism coexists with caution due to the European 'safeguard' clause, triggering automatic measures if imports grow by just 10%. This is seen as a potential hurdle reopening negotiations or limiting benefits. While the EU offers compensation funds for its farmers, Mercosur insists on ratifying the original agreement terms. Regional agriculture considers it the opportunity of the century, but warns it won't accept any conditions.
Beef, dairy, rice, honey, juices, and wines lead the quotas. In dairy, there are allocations of 30,000 tons of milk powder, 30,000 tons of cheese, and 10,000 tons of whey, along with unprecedented quotas for beef and poultry. Optimism coexists with caution due to the European 'safeguard' clause, triggering automatic measures if imports grow by just 10%. This is seen as a potential hurdle reopening negotiations or limiting benefits. While the EU offers compensation funds for its farmers, Mercosur insists on ratifying the original agreement terms. Regional agriculture considers it the opportunity of the century, but warns it won't accept any conditions.
Key News of the Week
16.09.2025
Rethinking Global Milk Production Figures: A Critical Perspective
In the recent article “The Dairy Map of the World 2025: Who Feeds the Planet?”, it was noted that global milk production reached around 950 million tons in 2024, with India and Pakistan driving much of the 3% growth in Asia. At the same time, global dairy trade remains uneven: while some countries expand their export positions, others remain focused on domestic consumption.
