Can Lula’s re-election unlock Mercosur markets for Southeast Asia?

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s re-election should provide continuity for the country’s trade push into Southeast Asia, analysts say, as Vietnam and Indonesia pursue preferential trade agreements with Mercosur, the South American bloc in which Brazil is the largest economy.

But better access to Brazil and other Mercosur markets is far from assured, with trade experts pointing to difficult negotiations over tariffs and agricultural access, as well as political differences within the bloc.

In August, Vietnam completed its first round of talks on a preferential trade agreement with Mercosur.