Toys’ game: Brazil warns Argentina that trade restrictions will be reciprocated

Thursday, December 3rd 2009 - 13:35 UTC

Full article 3 comments

Brazilian Foreign Trade minister Welber Barral

Brazil has threatened with trade reprisals if Argentina does not lift new restrictions to imports of Brazilian manufactured toys. Trade tensions between the two Mercosur partners and largest economies of South America have soured lately because of what Brazil considers “protectionist” measures and attitudes from Argentina.

According to sources from the Brazilian Foreign Trade Ministry, a timetable to solve the current situation is running.

Last week the Argentine government notified that “it does not recognize Brazilian organizations certification for the export of toys” and therefore is has begun to demand Argentine certification of Brazilian products.

Based on this the Brazilian Foreign Trade minister Welber Barral “notified Argentina on Monday that if in 15 days the toys situation is not reversed, Argentine toys coming to the Brazilian market will be exposed to the need of having import licences”.

Sao Paulo’s main financial daily Valor, said that the decision to slap non automatic import licences on Argentine toys “is a clear message to the Argentines that any restrictions imposed on bilateral trade in Argentina will be immediately accompanied by a similar measure in Brazil”.

Argentine and Brazilians presidents last month met in the framework of regular contacts but trade related issues remained stalled.

Categories: Politics, Argentina, Brazil, Mercosur.

Top Comments

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Nicholas
“protectionist” is the only idiotic idea of a “peronist” who destroys it's own economy without noticing it, in the long run.
Dec 03rd, 2009 - 03:52 pm 0
Kirk Nelson
Well, I do not think that this matter is “protectionist” per say.
However, if one country requires some time of license for a product, the other country should implemente the same tipe of licenses for the same product.
Its is a reciprocal matter. A trade is two ways street.
This issue is not a big deal and both countries would comply to each other and business would operate soon normaly.

At least we know that, commercially, they are spaying to each other and that is a fear practice to remind themselves or each other, that a guard is always alert . “ Big brother is watching me”.

Kirk Nelson, from New York, USA
Dec 04th, 2009 - 05:47 am 0
Marcos
Argentine foreign trade policy is poised to destroy the process of integration, it has no interest in open trade throughout South America. It's high time that Argentina be nixed from Mercosul and be replaced with a country that has a mature and intelligent trade policy like Chile.
Dec 07th, 2009 - 10:56 pm 0

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