Mexico has been making major progress in attempts to improve its trade relationship with the European Union. A week after the two parties held their most recent round of trade talks, Mexican Secretary of the Economy Ildefonso Guajardo Villarreal traveled to Brussels to continue discussions. He will meet with EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom on Dec. 19 and with Commissioner of Agriculture and Rural Development Phil Hogan on Dec. 20. Trade negotiations between Mexico and the European Union started gaining traction in February of this year as the two began working to expand their current trade agreement, which dates back to the year 2000 and covers around 2,000 products. In the past 17 years, trade between Mexico and the bloc increased from $20 billion to over $60 billion annually.