The tariffs of USA to its main business partners in each corner of the world, including the European Unionthey have forced Brussels to think about diversifying more Commercial routes and pay more attention to other markets also affected by Donald Trump’s measures and who want to continue respecting a rules -based trade.
Although it is not a new effort, since the victory of the Republican in November has already spurred the contacts between the community executive of Ursula von der Leyen and different commercial allies, In recent days and weeks contacts have happened to new partners and old acquaintances in search of opening new roads or reinforcing those that already exist.
India, South Korea or Indonesia, new partners in Asia
In a declaration of political intent, von der Leyen chose India as his first trip outside of Europe in his second legislature: together with the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modiset this year as a key date to give folder to a free trade agreement between them that would become the greatest of these characteristics in the world.
The negotiations, which began in 2007, were blocked for almost a decade until 2022 by disagreements in sectors such as agricultural or car that have not yet been resolved.
Also Indonesiaa market of 300 million people with plenty Vietnam and Singapore and celebrated his last round of negotiations with Yakarta In 2024.
In addition to Indonesia, von der Leyen explained this week in an interview with the Financial Times that the new world landscape had also promoted conversations with Malaysia, Thailand either Philippines.
Another of the countries closest to Europe in Asia is South Koreawith whom the European Union already had a free trade agreement to which it added just a month ago a digital trade pact, which covers areas such as data flows, personal data security and support technologies to companies.
Mercosur, the great pending subject
For the second time in a five years, the European Union and the MERCOSUR They closed at the end of 2024 – such weeks after Trump’s election – the negotiations for an association agreement between the two, with potential to become the largest in the world If internal reluctance in Europe does not slow.
France and Netherlandsamong other countries, they have been one of the most active against To ratify the agreement in its current form, but the urgency of strengthening new commercial partners could soften its position and make the ratification of the pact easier.
In what is in his hand, the European Commission aspires to conclude the legal review of the text before the end of next summer, which will pave the way to ratification and force the countries of the European Union and the European Parliament – where there are also significant voices in his counter – to pronounce.
China, the elephant in the room
Earl this year, von der Leyen suggested that Europe had to strive to “Get mutual benefits in our conversation with China”country that since 2019 the EU considers a partner in cooperation, an economic competitor and a systemic rival.
The Asian country, with whom Trump has climbed his tariff war, is the third largest commercial partner of the EU and the twenty -seven maintain with him a relationship still marked by the distrust After years developing commercial defense instruments against Desleal Practices of Beijing.
The lack of equal conditions between the companies of each block or the possibility that Chinese products flood the European market in the face of the new obstacles to entering the US feed the reticence of Brussels to think that Beijing can become an related partner in any near future.
Even so, the commission and China maintain contacts to, for example, try to reach minimum price commitments in the electric cars Chinese imported by the EU as “alternative” to tariffs imposed by the community block for the illegal subsidies they receive.
And in the middle of next July, on a date still to be defined, the EU and China will celebrate a Bilateral Summitwhich should have taken place in Brussels but will be in Beijing “for logistics reasons.”
