The German industry advocated this Sunday for a rapid entry into force of the EU-Mercosur agreement on the eve of the 39th edition of the German-Brazilian Business Days held in Belo Horizonte and will be opened by the German Minister of Economy and Climate, Robert Habeck.

“Brazil’s importance to Germany should also be reflected in trade figures. The country must be on the list of the 20 most important trading partners. A breakthrough for further cooperation would be the rapid entry into force of the EU-Mercosur agreement,” said Confederation of German Industry (BDI) President Siegfried Russwurm.

In a statement, he recalled that negotiations began almost 24 years ago and noted that “more pragmatism is needed in EU trade policy.”

Russwurm stressed the importance of “not missing the opportunity” to implement with Mercosur “one of the most important projects” of the bilateral trade agenda, which “would avoid 85% of European export levies to the region and, therefore, several billion euros in taxes for companies annually.”

He stressed that the agreement sets “high standards in terms of environmental protection and workers’ rights and commits countries to effectively implement the Paris Agreement on climate change” and that in a separate chapter on sustainability it contains rules on biodiversity, sustainable forest management and the fight against illegal logging.

He recalled that Germany, as an exporting country, lost last year share in the world market and competitiveness, so, he added, “the need for more free trade agreements is great” and “precisely in times of crisis, it becomes clear how important international cooperation and partnerships of trust are.”

Habeck, who is accompanied by the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Cem Özdemir, and a business delegation, will also be in the Colombian capital, Bogotá, where in addition to a visit to the German-Colombian Peace Institute CAPAZ he will hold talks with business representatives.

“With their potential in renewable energies and their important deposits of raw materials, Brazil and Colombia play a key role in global climate protection and in the transition of our economies towards green and sustainable models,” Habeck said in a statement referring to the trip that began yesterday and will last until the 16th.

He added that with the changes of government in both countries, “a door has been opened to more intense strategic cooperation.”