Germany’s timber trade backs Mercosur and India deals, urges Commission to move despite blockade

Germany’s timber trade has voiced strong support for the EU-Mercosur and EU-India free trade agreements, calling on the European Commission to press ahead with implementation despite political resistance in the European Parliament. The German Timber Trade Federation (GD Holz) said the EU-Mercosur agreement, concluded after more than two decades of negotiations, would strengthen Europe’s competitiveness by opening one of the world’s largest free trade areas and improving access to fast-growing markets. It added that the same logic applies to the long-awaited EU-India free trade agreement. By reducing tariffs and ...