The new conservative to right-wing populist governments are ideologically closer to the U.S. than their left-wing predecessors. At the same time, they are unlikely to want to do without Europe as a player between Washington and Beijing.

Geopolitics is elevating the continent’s role as a business location and trade partner. With trade agreements with Mexico and Mercosur, the EU has now positioned itself strategically.

Why the new EU-Mexico agreement matters.

The economic outlook for 2026 is stable and slightly positive. Politically, the continent is facing a change of direction due to several elections. The influence of geopolitics is likely to increase further.

It is still unclear where the US customs policy toward the region will ultimately lead. The future of the EU’s free trade agreements with Latin America also remains open.

Trump has “only” imposed the reciprocal minimum tariff of 10 percent on almost all South American countries. What is the reason for this and what consequences could it have for the region?

Even if he will still change his customs policy, the damage has already been done: Investors are unsettled and will reduce their investments in the country. This will affect German companies in particular.

The future president and her party will have more power than most of her predecessors. The financial markets are reacting nervously to this. German companies continue to back the country.

The IMF’s latest forecasts for the region’s economies are cautiously optimistic. And this is where the country with the highest growth worldwide is located.

Hopes for the positive effects of nearshoring were high, but the reality so far has been different. Western companies are hardly relocating, but China is seizing the opportunity.