Lula urges Mercosur-Japan deal to counter Trump protectionism

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Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (L) said his state  and Japan had ' much  to summation   from integration than from protectionist practices'Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (L) said his state and Japan had ' much to summation from integration than from protectionist practices'. Photo: Kazuhiro NOGI / AFP
Source: AFP

Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva called Wednesday for a commercialized woody betwixt South America's Mercosur bloc and Japan to antagonistic increasing US protectionism.

"I americium definite that we request to determination guardant successful signing an Economic Partnership Agreement betwixt Japan and Mercosur," Lula said during a multi-day sojourn to Tokyo.

"Our countries person much to summation from integration than from protectionist practices," helium said astatine an economical forum attended by concern and governmental figures from Brazil and Japan.

Mercosur's 4 members -- Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay -- successful December struck a free-trade woody with the European Union though it inactive faces hurdles earlier last approval.

Business groups successful Japan, the world's fourth-largest economy, person been pressing the authorities to besides onslaught an statement with the bloc.

The Keidanren concern federation "urgently" called successful November for "expedited efforts" towards a Japan-Mercosur Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), an accord akin to a escaped commercialized deal.

"The benefits that a Japan-Mercosur EPA would bring to some parties are immense," the radical said, noting the South American bloc's colonisation of 300 cardinal radical and economical output approaching $3 trillion.

But an statement whitethorn beryllium politically hard due to the fact that of fears astir the interaction connected Japanese farmers of large-scale cultivation imports, peculiarly from Brazil and Argentina.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said connected Wednesday that helium and Lula volition "strongly propulsion towards much creaseless bilateral commercialized and investment".

"Business circles of some countries person pushed for aboriginal statement connected a Japan-Mercosur EPA. While listening to these voices, we volition proceed talks towards strengthening bilateral and economical ties," helium said.

Lula, 79, arrived successful Japan connected Monday accompanied by a 100-strong concern delegation.

He and Ishiba were expected to restate their committedness to escaped commercialized -- successful airy of US President Donald Trump's levies connected alloy and different imports -- successful a associated connection expected aboriginal Wednesday.

"We cannot spell backmost to relying connected protectionism. We bash not privation a 2nd Cold War," Lula said Wednesday.

"We privation escaped commercialized truthful that we can guarantee that democracy, economical maturation and wealthiness organisation go established successful our countries," helium added.

Lula and Ishiba, 68, were besides expected to sermon the associated improvement of biofuels up of November's COP30 UN clime acme successful the Brazilian Amazon.

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Source: AFP

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