The government will try to speed up the process of opening up the bloc. The chancellor said that “the common external tariff of 14% is the highest in the world” and that “it made sense three decades ago but not now.” The local industry is closely following the issue.
The Government will seek to accelerate the process of opening up Mercosur. This was stressed by Foreign Minister Diana Mondino at a lunch with businessmen. In this regard, The minister considered that “the common external tariff of 14% is the highest in the world” and pointed out that its function within and outside the bloc must be reconsidered. He also said that despite the delays, he will try to seal the agreement with the European Union and spoke of the relationship with Brazil: “It is excellent, it is that of an older brother and a younger brother.”
At a lunch with businessmen from the Rotary Club, which was also attended by officials from local and international diplomacy, Foreign Minister Diana Mondino said she has a critical view “in the English sense” on the role of Mercosur because she believes that the formation of the bloc has “pros and cons.”
On this point, he questioned the fact that a true customs union has not yet been established in 32 years.We have serious restrictions if an Argentine wants to work in Brazil, to transfer goods and services from one side to the other. We have not managed to have integrated borders,” he stressed.
Diana Mondino then referred to the Common External Tariff (CET), one of the points that attracts the most attention among industrialists. He stated that “it is the highest in the world and makes everything we buy more expensive.” On this point, he considered that the AEC of 14% “maybe made sense three decades ago, but not now.”
Along the same lines, he surprised those present with a rhetorical question: “Why do countries like Uruguay or Paraguay, which do not have their own industry, have to suffer such high tariffs that only benefit some Argentine or Brazilian companies?”.
Mercosur and the European Union
The chancellor said that despite the fact that negotiations have been going on for more than 19 years, Mercosur will try again to seal the trade agreement with the European Unionalthough she was skeptical and critical of France’s position: “their countryside is heavily subsidized and I think they have a misunderstanding of what the agricultural sector of Mercosur is,” she said.
Then, Asked about the link with Brazil, she said that “it is excellent, it is that of an older brother and a younger brother.”He elaborated and explained that “it is the same family, we are in the same neighborhood, we produce the same thing and although we are not twin brothers, the relationship is excellent, every Sunday we sit down to eat as a family.”
Diana Mondino resumed the Mercosur agenda and said that “If we want to be an exporting power, we have to work together” and asked, “If all four of us have soybeans, what is the problem with processing Brazilian soybeans in Argentina?
He also referred to some sectoral issues and pointed out that “we have biotechnological developments in certain seeds that Argentina does not recognize and Brazil does, there are many things that we could improve.” He therefore concluded that there are serious integration problems and put a number on Argentina’s demands: “there is a list of fifteen things to do.”
Source: Ambito
