European Union leaders missed a self-imposed deadline to complete a free-trade agreement with a South American bloc of countries this week.
They’ll instead aim to complete the accord with the Mercosur countries — Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay — in January, according to Paula Pinho, spokeswoman for the European Commission, which handles trade matters for the EU. Officials are targeting Jan. 12 for a new signing date, according to people familiar with the matter.
Some EU leaders had warned that failure to finalize things this week would imperil the agreement all together. German Chancellor