After 25 years of negotiations and resistance on both sides of the Atlantic, the EU–Mercosur Free Trade Agreement entered provisional application on 1 May, 2026. The Agreement impacts not only the exchange of goods and services but also the 740 million people living across both regional blocs. It further institutionalizes power asymmetries that subordinate social and ecological needs to the imperatives of capital accumulation.
The EU-Mercosur Free Trade Agreement: A Feminist Analysis takes a close look at what this agreement entails. It is the first publication in a series of policy briefs unpacking key trade agreements from a feminist perspective, with the aim of making the impacts of these agreements legible to a broad audience.
It was written by Tania Martínez Portugal (WIDE+), Edmé Dominguez R. (WIDE+), and Isabela Callegari (Public Services International). Graciela Rodriguez (Instituto Equit/REBRIP) provided helpful comments to the authors. Erica Levenson (Regions Refocus) edited the policy brief for publication. Mariana Silvério (Regions Refocus) designed the publication and translated it into three languages.
The EU-Mercosur Free Trade Agreement: A Feminist Analysis is available in English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish.
