News of free trade

Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay agree to review Mercosur tariffs

17-12-2021 18:08 Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay agree to continue “modernisation” of bloc and review common external tariff at virtual summit – but without Uruguay's agreement.

Mercosur tensions

Argentina, Paraguay agree to review Mercosur's common external tariff

15-10-2021 20:33 Argentina and Paraguay agree to review Mercosur’s Common External Tariff – an issue that has sparked tensions within the trade bloc.

TRADE BLOC TENSIONS

Argentina, Brazil agree to reduce Mercosur's Common External Tariff

08-10-2021 19:43 Brazil and Argentina agree to reduce Mercosur's common external tariff by 10% "on a very broad universe of products."

MERCOSUR TENSIONS

Brazil’s Guedes lets rip at Argentina, vows to ‘modernise’ Mercosur

01-10-2021 01:37 Brazilian Economy Minister Paulo Guedes says Argentina should "withdraw" from the Mercosur if President Alberto Fernández's government feels "uncomfortable" with Brasilia's plans to "modernise" the South American trade bloc.

MERCOSUR TENSIONS

Lacalle Pou: Uruguay and China in talks over bilateral free-trade deal

08-09-2021 16:28 Uruguayan President Luis Lacalle Pou says his government is “in a hurry” to close a FTA with China – a development that’s sure to increase tensions with other Mercosur member states.

EU-MERCOSUR DEAL

Macron says France 'will continue' to oppose EU-Mercosur trade deal

03-09-2021 21:31 French President Emmanuel Macron said Friday that Paris maintains its opposition to the trade agreement agreed between the European Union and Mercosur.

PRESIDENTIAL MEETING

President Fernández to host Lacalle Pou amid Mercosur tensions

12-08-2021 14:39 Alberto Fernández will host Luis Lacalle Pou at the Olivos presidential residence on Friday, with tensions over Mercosur's future likely to be discussed.

Mercosur in crisis

Felipe Solá: Brazil's 'hostile attitude has killed debate within Mercosur'

22-07-2021 22:01 Argentina’s foreign minister slams Brazilian government during visit to Rio to mark 30th anniversary of nuclear accord between two nations.

MERCOSUR IN DISARRAY

Cracks emerge in Mercosur trade bloc as Uruguay looks to go it alone

09-07-2021 03:18 Deep cracks emerge in Mercosur trade bloc, as Uruguayan President Luis Lacalle Pou says he wants to negotiate trade deals without approval from other member nations.

MERCOSUR IN DISARRAY

Mercosur’s glitch-plagued summit puts spotlight on trade divide

09-07-2021 02:58 Luis Lacalle Pou's new trade strategy unable to win broad support among bloc's members. Parallel initiative backed by Brazil and Uruguay to reduce Mercosur's common external tariff also fails to advance.

IN-DEPTH: MERCOSUR

Mercosur’s future up for debate at key meeting

01-05-2021 00:21 Member nations agree to debate ‘flexibilisation’ of bloc’s rules at key meeting in May. Uruguay continues to push for liberalisation of tariffs, rules on free-trade deals.

MERCOSUR BLOC

Uruguay presents plan to make Mercosur trade talks more flexible

26-04-2021 15:19 According to the draft document released by the Foreign Ministry in Montevideo, the proposal would allow member states, under some conditions, to initiate negotiations "either as a group or individually."

MERCOSUR SUMMIT

Trade and Covid-19 vaccines top agenda for Mercosur summit

23-03-2021 13:22 Mercosur’s member nations will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the bloc's founding at a key summit this Friday, with the clear differences between them more than evident.

by Mariano Beldyk

EU-MERCOSUR DEAL

More than 450 NGOs, groups condemn ‘obsolete’ EU-Mercosur trade deal

16-03-2021 17:26 More than 450 civil society groups, associations and NGOs call on Mercosur, European Union to “abandon” controversial free-trade deal.

EU-MERCOSUR DEAL

France says won't ratify Mercosur trade deal in 'current form'

04-02-2021 17:01 France says it will not ratify trade deal between the European Union and the Mercosur bloc "in its current form."

BREXIT

UK-EU agree historic post-Brexit trade deal

26-12-2020 10:20 Britain and the European Union struck a post-Brexit trade deal on Christmas Eve that they hope will cushion the economic blow of the UK’s imminent departure from the bloc after months of tortuous negotiations.

EU-MERCOSUR DEAL

Without environmental guarantees, EU-Mercosur trade deal faces uncertain future

23-11-2020 15:51 Historic free-trade agreement between the European Union and the Mercosur regional bloc, announced more than a year ago after more than two decades of negotiations, stuck in limbo due to environmental concerns.

EU-MERCOSUR DEAL

Brazil rejects deforestation concerns on EU-Mercosur deal

23-09-2020 16:12 Brazil hits back at European reluctance to finalise EU-Mercosur trade deal, saying a French report on environmental concerns is motivated by "protectionist interests."

MERCOSUR BLOC

Lacalle Pou says EU-Mercosur deal 'advances' but not at 'expected speed'

03-09-2020 01:05 Uruguayan leader’s comments just the latest in a series indicating that momentum for the accord has slowed.

EU-MERCOSUR TRADE DEAL

Merkel expresses 'significant doubts' over EU-Mercosur trade pact

21-08-2020 14:12 German chancellor expresses "significant doubts" over landmark EU-Mercosur free trade deal, citing concerns over the devastating deforestation of the Amazon rainforest.