Since last June 2025, I have been part of the ‘European Commission’s EU Trade Champions Network’ – a pan-European initiative that connects around 120 independent voices from the EU, all with a high management level, active regional presence, public prestige, and great experience in international commercial affairs. It is an outreach and dissemination initiative of the benefits of European trade policy, which fortunately allows me to access information directly provided by key people from the European Commission, either by meeting physically in Brussels at the Commission’s buildings or attending regular online meetings with other champions from the different member countries of the Union and with experts from the Commission.
I thank the European Commission for selecting me as an expert with practical professional experience in trade beyond the European Union to be part of its pan-European network of ‘trade champions’, as Practitioner of TRADE, so that I can communicate what I believe in, which are the benefits of international trade, and promote it with the utmost rigor, but with the close and clear communication style that characterizes me, in addition to professional and accessible language that grounds it in the business reality and of each individual as a consumer.
The EU, today, is the largest trading block in the world, working to promote exports, attract foreign investments, and ensure access to essential raw materials and technologies from outside the European Union.
I firmly believe that we must have an effective trade policy, supported by the 27 EU member states, which will be crucial for the EU to remain a competitive force in the global economy, capable of negotiating.
EU-US. Transatlantic trade agreement
August has ended, with the EU reaching an agreement with the US, putting an end to the uncertainty of the past few months. More details here.https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_25_1973
A maximum tariff cap of 15% is established for almost all EU exports, with certain strategic products benefiting from lower rates (for example, cork, airplanes and airplane parts, and generic pharmaceuticals). Although there are still certain grey areas concerning different tariffs for derivatives compared to parts, and it is important to understand what each concept entails, work is still needed on quotas and contingents. The positive aspect is that both sides committed to continue negotiations to reduce barriers in other sectors.
From the Commission, President Von Der Leyen concluded that:
“Faced with a challenging situation, we have delivered for our Member States and industry, and restored clarity and coherence to transatlantic trade. This is not the end of the process, we continue to engage with the US to agree more tariff reductions, to identify more areas of cooperation, and to create more economic growth potential.”
And as our Trade Commissioner Šefčovič put it: “The alternative – a trade war with sky-high tariffs and political escalation – would harm jobs, growth, and businesses on both sides of the Atlantic.”
-EU RESPONSE: An agreement – although improvable – is better than an open war.
An agreement, although imperfect, is undoubtedly a better decision, as otherwise, defending ourselves solely through retaliation tariffs would harm workers, consumers, and various European industries, creating an endless escalation of tariffs and generating an open confrontation that would harm us all.
-NEW SCENARIO: Prioritizing stability.
The priority for the European Commission has been to create a space with stability, where trade and investment plans can be defined with some predictability. Only stable scenarios allow for consistent growth with guarantees for everyone.
-VOLUME: A commercial volume between the US and the EU that is not insignificant.
The annual trade volume of 1.68 billion (european) euros between the European Union and the United States constitutes the most comprehensive trade relationship in the world.
-CLEAR LINES: A ceiling of 15% all-inclusive and control over regulation.
The key element of the EU-US agreement is the maximum ceiling of 15 percent for most EU products, including vehicles and pharmaceutical products. It is a comprehensive rate. Only the EU has this tariff ceiling, which includes everything. Fifteen percent without additional surcharges.
Furthermore, the EU will continue to establish its own rules regarding the environment and digital matters.
A global picture of other trade agreements of the EU and its allies for the reform of global trade
In the current geopolitical context, the EU is working on new agreements, as a result of diversification efforts to create new partnerships and open new trade opportunities.
Although trade with the US is significant, 80% of our trade in the EU is with other countries.
Work is being done on the EU-Mercosur trade agreements (Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay) and the EU-Mexico agreement, which are expected to be activated in the short term; in fact, the Commission has already proposed these key trade agreements for signature to the Council of Europe this September, which are essential for diversifying trade relations and strengthening economic and political ties with like-minded partners: The Association Agreement between the EU-Mercosur and the Updated Global Agreement between the EU-Mexico.
Furthermore, the EU is also working on an agreement with India to be concluded by the end of this year.
Among the main objectives are:
-The protection of the European steel sector against unfair competition
-Supporting our farmers with an additional safeguard in the EU-Mercosur agreement against an increase in imports of products such as beef and chicken, with funding if necessary.
Moreover, the EU will work with like-minded allies such as Australia, Canada, and Japan to reform the global trading system (World Trade Organization).
The Association Agreement between the EU and Mercosur
This agreement is fundamental within the EU’s strategy because it represents thousands of millions of euros in export opportunities, jobs, an improvement in European competitiveness, a diversification in the supply chain, a reduction in dependence on some critical resources,…
The EU-Mercosur Association Agreement means for Spanish companies that they will improve their total trade between Spain and Mercosur, currently amounting to 20.400 million euros, by benefiting from lower or zero tariffs on 91% of products, benefiting almost all Spanish exports.
Specifically, there will be new opportunities for Spanish farmers, as currently, agri-food products represent only 5% of the total exports from the EU to Mercosur, due to prohibitive tariffs of up to 55% and other existing restrictions.
Spanish exports correspond to 450 million euros in 2024, which have suffered tariffs between 10 and 55 euros for the most part, and now would transition to substantially reduced tariffs, and even zero on some products.
Additionally, the EU-Mercosur agreement will protect 344 food and beverage products from the EU against imitation in Mercosur countries. This protection helps to make these products distinctive with a quality mark of geographical indication, which will help position them at a higher price.
In relation to the most sensitive and potentially affected sectors by this agreement, there are measures planned to protect the interests of producers, such as Spanish livestock farmers and farmers, which consist of:
– Maximum quotas for reduced tariffs on products such as beef, pork, or poultry.
– Safeguard clause to protect EU farmers against any sudden increase in imports. (Moreover, this is the first time such a measure has been included in an EU agreement, as even for products already subject to a quota, the Commission is prepared to act quickly if there is a significant market increase related to the agreement).
– Strict food safety regulations to protect European citizens as before, thus maintaining the high standards required for consumption in the EU
– Strong sustainability commitments for producers on both sides.
Factsheet: EU-Mercosur Partnership Agreement: Spain – European Commission
Aware of global challenges and the strategic role of trade, from TuComex, the company I lead and of which I am a founding partner, we will continue to promote a trade policy that combines openness, sustainability, and a strong defense of European interests, with a commitment to dialogue and international leadership.