Brussels, 05/05/2014 (Agence Europe) - Brazil's minister for trade, Mauro Borges, last week confirmed that the countries of the Mercosur bloc (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay) will present the EU with their joint offer by the end of May or beginning of June on access to the agricultural and industrial markets, as part of the trade section of the association agreement under negotiation between the two blocs since 1999.
In Borges' view, reported by South America's MercoPress on 2 May, the overall South American tariff reduction will cover 90% of bilateral trade with the EU. Borges has worked very hard convincing Argentina to join the joint offer and taking forward the trade talks with the EU. The talks were relaunched in 2010 after a six year freeze. Brasilia believes they are “strategic”.
As well as tariff liberalisation, the EU-Mercosur trade negotiations cover non-tariff barriers, services, investment and public procurement. The newcomer to the South American bloc, Venezuela, is not part of the negotiations as it is in a period of adaptation.