Brazil’s Senate unanimously ratified on Wednesday the free-trade deal between trade bloc Mercosur and the European Union, following same move by the country’s lower house and bringing the deal one step closer to implementation. The agreement seeks to integrate a total market of more than 700 million people. Argentina and Uruguay, two other members of the bloc, have already ratified the deal, which was under negotiation for more than 25 years. Paraguay is expected to do the same. Bolivia, the newest Mercosur member, was not involved in negotiations but can join the agreement in the coming years. Brazil by far the largest economy of Mercosur with a GDP estimated at more than $2.3 trillion in 2025.
