The EU said Monday a free trade agreement with South American bloc Mercosur will provisionally enter into force on May 1 -- despite a pending court ruling on its legality. "Today is an important step in demonstrating our credibility as a major trading partner," EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic said. "The priority now is turning this EU-Mercosur agreement into concrete outcomes, giving EU exporters the platform they need to seize new opportunities for trade, growth and jobs." "Provisional application ensures the removal of tariffs on certain products as of day one, creating predictable rules for trade and investment," the European Commission, in charge of EU trade policy, said Monday. The EU had already signalled in February it would provisionally implement the deal, prompting a public split between its two largest member states France and Germany.

Source: The Standard March 23, 2026 21:22 UTC