Under the trade agreement in effect since May 1, the EU granted Mercosur countries a quota of 6,667 tons of rice, which has now been fully utilized.

Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs Valeria Cusukasi announced on social media that Uruguay had obtained 63 percent of its quota for this year.

President Orsi shared the post and celebrated the country’s achievement.

“Today we can shout ‘Goal!’ And because Uruguayans who work and produce in agriculture don’t give up, today we can say, ‘YES, WE CAN!’ The agreement with Europe is bearing fruit: today it’s rice. We keep going!! Thank you,” he added.

The agreement between the European Union and Mercosur entered into force provisionally after nearly three decades of negotiations, although a court ruling in Europe on its legality is still pending.

However, the members of the South American bloc—Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay, and Brazil—have not yet reached an agreement on how to allocate export quotas to Europe.

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