EU chief in Uruguay for final talks on a huge trade deal with the South American Mercosur bloc

Associated Press

BRUSSELS (AP) — European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has arrived in Uruguay for the final stages in years-long negotiations to clinch a trade deal between the 27-nation EU and the South American Mercosur trade bloc that would create a trans-Atlantic market of some 700 million people. Von der Leyen said the finishing line for the deal was “in sight,” sidestepping objections from some EU member states like France and protests by farmers across the bloc. French President Emmanuel Macron, mindful of his country’s vocal and politically powerful farming community, has described what was on the table as “unacceptable.” The EU Commission negotiates trade agreements for all 27 member states and von der Leyen could go ahead with a provisional deal this weekend.