Odds that the trade deal between the European Union and Mercosur will be signed in January appeared to improve slightly after a call between Brazil’s Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

What way the Government votes on the controversial Mercosur trade deal has to be seen “in the round” and take account of separate leeway the State was recently given on EU nitrates rules, Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said.

Critics of the ​trade pact - 25 years in the making - ​say cheap commodities could flood the EU. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.

The European Commission president urged EU leaders to approve the long-awaited trade deal after it faced more pushback at the 11th hour.

Belgium, where most of those assets are held, have been the most vocal holdout since the last EU summit in October, but officials say the country has engaged constructively in Thursday’s negotiations.

UUP agriculture spokesperson Robbie Butler MLA has said that the Mercosur deal could severely disadvantage Northern Ireland’s farmers.