Germany says it is confident that Italy will support the EU trade agreement with Mercosur

The German government said on Wednesday that it believes Italy is ready to accept the Mercosur agreement between the European Union (EU) and the South American trade bloc.

Brussels expects to sign it next week. While Italy has previously expressed concerns about the possible impact of the agreement on the EU's agricultural sector, German government spokesman Stefan Cornelius told reporters: „We are very confident that Italy will now accept this MERCOSUR agreement.

This agreement should help the EU to export more vehicles, machinery, wines and spirits to South America.

The agreement also facilitates access to the European market for South American meat, sugar, rice, honey and soybeans.

Some EU countries, such as Germany and Spain, welcome the agreement, which could help boost exports at a time when global trade tensions are running high.

But the agreement has raised concerns among farmers, who fear they will be outcompeted by a flood of cheaper goods from agricultural giant Brazil and its neighbours.