MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Rousseff’s main advisor describes Brazil/Argentina relations as “fine”

Foreign affairs advisor Marcos Aurelio Garcia, ‘mini reaction with no strategic impact’

Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff's international affairs advisor Marco Aurélio García lowered the tone of the trade conflict with Argentina and said that the relationship between both countries “is fine” despite the trade barriers that Brazil imposed on the import of Argentine cars.

“There was a mini-reaction of Brazil, but it has no strategic impact” in the relationship between both countries. García also denied that Roussef is “irritated” and that she allowed the issue to be solved at a ministry level.”

Brazil imposed last week non automatic licences on all auto and auto parts imports, including from Argentina, triggering a strong controversy between Argentina’s Industry Minister Debora Giorgi and her Brazilian counterpart Fernando Pimentel.

There were also strong criticisms from the UIA Argentine Industrial Union and FIESP, Sao Paulo Industries Federation in support of their respective governments’ positions.

However this week Brazil partially lifted the measure on Argentine car imports paving the way for a round of talks scheduled for next week.

García said that only Brazilian (and Argentine) manufacturers “have won” with the increase of trade with Argentina, but “it is evident that we didn’t like how the range of non-tariff barriers that were affecting Brazilian sales to Argentina”.

Nevertheless García underlined the “strategic” partnership with Argentina, one of Brazil’s foreign policy priorities, and also admitted that the measure was mainly targeted on a flood of imports from Asia, the US and the EU.