BRASILIA, July 27 - Brazil and South Korea have committed to hastening discussions around a potential trade agreement linking Seoul with Mercosur, the South American trade bloc that includes Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay, their presidents said during a ceremony in Brasilia on Monday.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva stated that the two countries will create a working group tasked with accelerating the negotiations on a prospective deal. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung described a potential pact between South Korea and Mercosur as an urgent matter, underscoring the priority both leaders attached to the discussions.
The announcement comes as Brazil seeks to broaden its network of trade arrangements, either bilaterally or via Mercosur, to diversify commercial ties at a time when the country faces tariffs from the United States, which remains one of Brazil's key trading partners. The presidents did not outline a timeline for the working group beyond the commitment to speed up talks.
During the Brasilia event, Lula said Brazil will host a South Korean mission next month to carry out a sanitary evaluation of Brazilian meatpackers. That step is intended to address health and safety standards that affect trade in meat products between the two countries.
Lee also said the two governments agreed to expand cooperation in the critical minerals sector. No further operational details were provided at the ceremony, but both leaders highlighted the sector as an area for deeper collaboration.
Mercosur has concluded trade agreements in recent years with a number of partners, including the European Union and the four members of the European Free Trade Association - Switzerland, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. The presidents did not announce new accession steps or specific clauses for a future Korea-Mercosur pact.
Earlier on Monday, in a separate phone conversation with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Lula said he and Xi supported advancing talks on a possible deal between China and Mercosur. The Brasilia meeting with Lee takes place roughly five months after Lula attended a summit with the South Korean president in Seoul.
Context and implications
The commitments announced in Brasilia cover three discrete actions: the formation of a working group to push negotiations, a sanitary mission to assess Brazil's meatpackers and agreement to deepen cooperation on critical minerals. Each element reflects specific trade and regulatory steps that can influence market access for goods, regulatory alignment on animal health standards and strategic resource partnerships.