The Mercosur Dispute: Trade or Sovereignty? Analysis

This article provides an in-depth analysis of the trade agreement between the European Union and the Mercosur countries, seen as a key test case for contemporary globalization. The author explores the tensions between a technocratic approach to trade and genuine concerns about regulatory sovereignty and food security. The text details the agreement's legal evolution, including the introduction of the EMPA and iTA instruments, and analyzes the economic consequences for the agricultural sector resulting from norm asymmetry and regulatory arbitrage. Issues of geopolitical positioning and strategic autonomy are addressed, demonstrating that the agreement is not just about tariffs but also about the struggle to impose global production standards in a multipolar world where law becomes a prosthetic force in the face of bureaucratic machinery.