News of mercosur

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.

bilateral relations

Fernández, Lacalle Pou look to put aside tensions at Olivos dinner

15-08-2021 09:38 President Alberto Fernández received his Uruguayan counterpart, Luis Lacalle Pou, at the Olivos presidential residence on Friday, with both leaders searching for common ground amid Mercosur tensions.

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.

MERCOSUR BLOC

Disputes loom over Mercosur bloc ahead of presidential summit

07-07-2021 15:44 Trade disagreements are once again dominating talks within the Mercosur trade bloc, with videoconference meetings ahead of this week’s presidential summit making little headway on the issue.

HUMAN RIGHTS & NICARAGUA

Rights groups slam government for failing to back OAS vote on Nicaragua

18-06-2021 23:16 Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International strongly criticise Argentina’s government for abstaining in OAS vote condemning Nicaragua's jailing of opposition leaders.

Human rights

Argentina abstains in vote condemning Nicaragua's jailing of opposition leaders

16-06-2021 00:41 Casa Rosada fails to endorse OAS resolution against Nicaragua demanding "immediate release of the presidential candidates and all political prisoners."

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."

INTERVIEW – PERIODISMO PURO

Rafael Bielsa: ‘Alberto Fernández is very far from being a puppet’

10-04-2021 07:42 Rafael Bielsa, Argentina’s current Ambassador to Chile, on the pandemic, the president, Peronism and bilateral relations.

by Jorge Fontevecchia

THE WEEK

Second wave jitters

03-04-2021 08:39 Covid cases in Argentina are picking up faster than ever amid fears of a second wave. It could be punishing for the government if the second wave turns ugly.

by Martín Gambarotta

THE WEEK

What we learned this week: March 20 to 27

27-03-2021 08:57 The pick of the stories that caught our eye over the last seven days in Argentina.

MERCOSUR AT 30

Highlights (and low points): Mercosur turns 30

27-03-2021 08:49 A free-trade agreement with the European Union which has yet to be implemented, an imperfect common external tariff, mounted with great difficulty – these factors and others mark the 30-year history of Mercosur, a mosaic of successes and inconclusive challenges.

THE WEEK

Pay no more revisited

27-03-2021 08:18 The urgent question is whether CFK and Guzmán are on the same team and executing some kind of coordinated play to eventually force a deal with the IMF.

by Martín Gambarotta

AND THAT REMINDS ME...

Mercosur’s murky future

27-03-2021 07:27 Mercosur will have problems selling itself to the rest of the world while it cannot sell to itself.

by Michael Soltys

MERCOSUR AT 30: ANALYSIS

Thirty years on since its founding, Mercosur faces uncertain future

27-03-2021 07:17 Regional bloc celebrates its 30th birthday weakened by differences, with its partners unprepared for post-pandemic world.

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.

MERCOSUR SUMMIT

No Bolsonaro in BA – Government takes Mercosur ceremony online

13-03-2021 15:50 Argentina has suspended a historic ceremony marking the 30th anniversary of the Mercosur regional trade bloc, due to be held later this month, and will instead take it online.

MERCOSUR SUMMIT

Bolsonaro in Buenos Aires: Brazil leader says yes to Mercosur summit

05-03-2021 02:39 Brazilian leader Jair Bolsonaro confirms he will travel to Buenos Aires on March 26 for the Mercosur summit, setting up his first face-to-face encounter with President Alberto Fernández.

MERCOSUR BLOC

Brazil again pushes for loosening of Mercosur trade deal rules

27-02-2021 08:21 Bolsonaro set to visit Buenos Aires for trade bloc’s next summit; Brazilian foreign minister accuses ‘interest groups’ using the environment as ‘pretext’ to block ratification of EU-Mercosur 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."

ECONOMY

Ship line-up swells as soy crushers extend strike

26-12-2020 10:31 Soybean crushers at export plants agreed to extend a strike over wages during the Christmas season.

Mercosur

'Distrust' of Brazil stalls EU-Mercosur trade deal

13-12-2020 19:45 Concerns over Amazon deforestation under Bolsonaro are delaying the ratification of a two-decades long negotiated trade deal between the European Union and Mercosur.

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

EU parks trade deal with Mercosur over environmental concerns

17-10-2020 09:56 More than 15 months ago, then-president Mauricio Macri hailed the sealing of the Mercosur bloc’s historic trade agreement with the European Union. Today, as European nations express environmental concerns, ratification isn’t even close to starting.

by Fermin Koop

MERCOSUR

Felipe Solá: Argentina won’t stop or reject EU-Mercosur trade deal

01-10-2020 19:59 Foreign minister says country has “changed stance” on free-trade agreement and will debate it in Congress when concerns over environmental

by Fermin Koop

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."

EU-MERCOSUR DEAL

Key EU states fear Mercosur pact may hurt Amazon

21-09-2020 08:22 EU commissioner admits not all EU nations "are aligned" on trade deal with Mercosur nations, as fears historic accord could hurt the Amazon grow.

EU-MERCOSUR DEAL

France says opposes EU-Mercosur trade deal over deforestation concerns

18-09-2020 10:38 France opposed to free-trade deal in its current form due to "major" concerns about deforestation in the region, the government said on Friday.

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.

THE WEEK IN ARGENTINA

What we learned this week: August 22 to 29

29-08-2020 09:39 Stories that caught our eye over the last seven days in Argentina.

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.

BLOOMBERG

Brazil says it’s prepared to deal with Biden

28-07-2020 22:36 Foreign Minister Ernesto Araujo says Brasilia would have no problem dealing with Joe Biden, should he defeat Donald Trump in this year's US election.

EU-MERCOSUR TALKS

EU watchdog opens probe into Mercosur trade deal

10-07-2020 12:16 EU Ombudsman Emily O’Reilly confirms investigation will be opened into historic trade deal with Mercosur, after environmental and rights groups complained that the deal does not respect the EU’s legal obligations.

THE LAST SEVEN DAYS

What we learned this week: June 27 to July 4

04-07-2020 08:40 Stories that caught our eye over the last seven days in Argentina.

EDITORIAL

Is isolation the best expression of independence?

04-07-2020 08:32 The pandemic is a curious ally of ultra-nationalism, feeding the notion that Covid-19 will destroy globalisation and the private sector in a world dictating a self-sufficiency of which very few countries can even dream.

ANALYSIS

Sino-American dispute a looming threat for Argentina and Brazil

04-07-2020 07:57 The relationship between Buenos Aires and Brasilia is in intensive care and the lack of coordination between the two governments exposes the region to an external vulnerability – becoming a place where the US and China settle their differences.

by Leandro Dario

MERCOSUR’S VIRTUAL SUMMIT

Mercosur vows unity in face of pandemic, as Macron cools on trade deal

04-07-2020 07:49 President Alberto Fernández calls for unity in face of the coronavirus pandemic during virtual summit, as reports in France suggest Emmanuel Macron has gone cold on Mercosur-EU trade deal.

Mercosur negotiations

Argentina on board for Mercosur trade talks after 'gradual change in discourse'

10-05-2020 10:00 A teleconference this Thursday assessed the courses of action on the Mercosur negotiations already concluded with the European Union, the ongoing negotiations with Canada, Korea, Singapore and Lebanon, and the deepening of agreements already signed with Israel and India.

OP-EDITORIAL

Voluntary isolation

02-05-2020 11:09 With a trade volume of just over 30 percent of its economy, Argentina already ranks among the seven most- closed economies in the world – shutting it down yet further does not look like the way ahead.