Brexit: Expert discusses why Macron has been 'tough' in talks

Member states including Spain, Italy, Portugal and Sweden are receiving backing from the likes of European commission trade boss Valdis Dombrovskis and foreign policy chief Josep Borrell as they attempt to pile pressure on Mr Macron over his resistance to the Mercosur trade deal, which would give EU privileged access to South America's largest trading bloc in Argentina, Brazil Paraguay and Uruguay. Brussels rates Mercosur as its top trade and investment partner, with goods worth £37.5billion exported to the trading bloc in 2019, and services totalling £19.2nillion in 2018. Last year, EU trade negotiators struck a historical pact with the Mercosur group of four South American countries following two decades of stop-start talks.