In December 2024, the European Union (EU) and the South American trade group, Mercosur, reached a historic deal after 25 years of tough negotiations. This deal promises big benefits: cheaper food for Europeans and cheaper cars for Latin Americans. But there's one major roadblock to making the deal official – France.

Mercosur is a trade group made up of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Bolivia. If the deal goes through, it will create one of the world’s largest free-trade zones, ...