The EU’s Growing Trade Influence

Just over a week ago, the European Union and the South American countries of Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay signed the Mercosur trade deal (BBC, January 9, 2026). This is currently the EU’s largest free-trade agreement and will need to be ratified by the European Parliament in the next couple of months. While many in the EU claim the deal will greatly benefit “both sides,” European farmers fear cheap South American products will greatly undercut their locally produced goods. Yet farming is only one industry impacted by this trade deal. The South American nations also possess gold, copper, and rare minerals necessary for electric battery production, and the European Commission estimates the deal will save European companies 4 billion euros in trade tariffs.

Even as the ink on the Mercosur deal is still drying, German chancellor Friedrich Merz is talking about a major trade deal between the EU and India that will help reduce India’s reliance on Russian goods (Reuters, January 12, 2026). “The EU-India pact would follow on the heels of the European Union's recent agreement with South America’s Mercosur group and support Europe’s push to build new trade networks as global rules shift.” Merz was recently in India signing deals between India and Germany and has expressed a desire to expand the agreements to include the EU, not just Germany. India is approaching one-fifth of the earth’s total population and represents a huge, untapped market.

End-time Bible prophecy warns that the coming European beast power will be deeply involved in global trade—a trade system that makes the nations of the earth rich (Revelation 18:3). As we look for the coming German-led beast to rise in Europe, an area of specific interest is that of expanding trade relationships between Europe and various nations. You can learn more about this topic by reading or listening to The Beast of Revelation: Myth, Metaphor, or Soon-Coming Reality.