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EU And Mercosur Textile Industries Get Ready For A Bigger Trade Push

• By  Textile Excellence
• October 31, 2026

Europe and Mercosur want to take their textile trade up a notch. Their industry bodies have launched the EU–Mercosur Textile and Apparel Dialogue (TAD).

The initiative, led by EURATEX, Brazil’s ABIT and FITA, is designed to turn the EU-Mercosur Free Trade Agreement into actual business - better market access, stronger supply chains, more investment and fewer trade hurdles.

Textile and clothing trade between the two regions touched nearly €700 million in 2025. European exports to Mercosur stood at €495 million, while imports from the region reached €199 million. The new FTA could give these numbers a serious boost.

But first, businesses need to tackle the practical stuff. The Dialogue will take up rules of origin, customs procedures, regulatory barriers, trade flows and investment. Sustainability, circularity, traceability and fair competition are also firmly on the agenda.

“The EU–Mercosur agreement opens a new chapter for our industries. Through this Dialogue, we want to make sure that these opportunities translate into real business cooperation, stronger value chains, and fair and reciprocal market access,” said Mario Jorge Machado, President of EURATEX.

The platform will bring senior industry representatives together twice a year, alternating between virtual and in-person meetings. Its chairmanship will rotate annually among EURATEX, ABIT and FITA.

The mandate was signed by Machado, Fernando Valente Pimentel, President Emeritus of ABIT, and Luis Tendlarz, President of FITA.

“The EU–Mercosur agreement opens a new chapter for our industries. Through this Dialogue, we want to make sure that these opportunities translate into real business cooperation, stronger value chains, and fair and reciprocal market access,” said Mario Jorge Machado, President of EURATEX.