US-Argentina Deal: Impact on EU and Mercosur

A new agreement between the US and Argentina (ARTI) threatens the EU-Mercosur trade deal. The ARTI agreement, signed on February 5, provides preferential treatment to American products and redefines the rules for using product names, introducing 'common terms'.

This affects the protection of European geographical indication products (PDO, PGI), as it allows the use of European names (e.g., Asiago, Feta, Prosciutto) without restrictions. Argentina commits not to restrict access to American products using 'generic' names.

The agreement includes a priority clause, precluding the application of future trade obligations that would limit US rights. It also provides for tariff reductions for various products and US access to Argentina's strategic minerals (lithium, copper), as well as cross-border data transfer.

The ARTI agreement will take effect within 60 days, while the EU-Mercosur agreement has not yet been fully ratified.