SAO PAULO: Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida discussed on Wednesday a potential trade deal between the Asian country and the Mercosur bloc of Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay, the Brazilian government said.

Lula and Kishida spoke by phone about strengthening trade between Latin America’s largest economy and Japan, according to the government statement, which added that the Japanese leader intends to visit Brazil “in due course.”

“They also discussed the possibility of a trade agreement between Mercosur and Japan,” the Brazilian government said.

Mercosur has been in talks to finalize a long-awaited trade deal with the European Union, but Lula had previously said he wanted the bloc to “explore new negotiation fronts” with Asian countries, including China, Vietnam, and Indonesia.

The South American bloc recently clinched a trade and investment deal with
Singapore, its first with an Asian nation, and is also eyeing a potential deal with South Korea.

Reuters