[Brazil] - Japan's Hesitation on Mercosur Talks Amid a Global Free Trade Decline

INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Yet, looming summer elections and a United States -led trade war under President Donald Trump complicate the decision.Mercosur unites
Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Uruguay, with Brazil and Argentina driving its economic power through beef and soybean
covering 780 million people
a delicate balance as elections approach in July 2025
Hesitation on Mercosur Talks Amid Amid a Global Free Trade Decline
stall coordination, evident when a G20 summit meeting fizzled in November 2024.Progress inches forward despite setbacks
Lula and Ishiba built on talks from May 2024, when former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visited Brazil
trade surplus in 2023, seeks alternatives like Mercosur to counter protectionism
Brazil, exporting $5.2 billion to Japan yearly, sees opportunity, shifting from past fears of Japanese cars flooding its market.The
narrative pivots to November 2025, when Brazil hosts COP30 and chairs Mercosur
2017
Businesses watch closely, knowing delays could cede markets to Europe and Asia.Behind the figures lies a story of caution and ambition
Japan weighs domestic stability against global opportunity, with Mercosur as a test of its economic resolve