EU, Mercosur agree on draft free trade treaty after 20 years of talks

The European Union and South American bloc Mercosur agreed a free-trade treaty on Friday, concluding two decades of talks and signalling their push for opening markets at a time of increased protectionism. The two regions launched negotiations exactly 20 years ago and intensified efforts to reach an accord after Donald Trump's presidential victory prompted the European Union to freeze talks with the United States and look for other global trading allies.