MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Paraguay will lead Mercosur trade negotiations with the EU next December
The Paraguayan foreign affairs ministry will represent Mercosur next December when the exchange of proposals with the European Union for a long pending free trade agreement, announced Uruguayan president Jose Mujica on Friday following private talks with his visiting peer from Paraguay, Horacio Cartes. Read full article
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Disclaimer & comment rulesI've never seen a country get so many concessions by doing and saying so little.
Oct 26th, 2013 - 06:00 am - Link - Report abuse 0Cartes is an extremely canny businessman.
Just what a small country like Paraguay needs. It's a shame that Mujica doesn't do the same for Uruguay. Perhaps the next president will take note.
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Oct 26th, 2013 - 07:52 am - Link - Report abuse 0Serious, serious, serious ass kissing going on here.
Oct 26th, 2013 - 08:32 am - Link - Report abuse 0Well, good luck Paraguay. I trust that you will recognise that you are wasting your time. Do you like sitting and “negotiating” for days or weeks knowing you will fail. You may not understand how the EU works. These “negotiations” are being conducted by the European Commission. Bureaucrats. After you've had your “negotiations” and reached an agreement, it will go to the Council of the European Union. This is the point at which the people of the EU will weigh in. Telling their governments that they don't want any crap from LatAm. There are already a number of members of the Union against an agreement. This will increase. And “the people” have a second string. When they refuse to buy anything coming from little mercosur. I will certainly refuse to buy anything originating in, or passing through, argieland, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay or Venezuela. Done without them for donkey's years. And nobody can force us to buy the crap!
Oct 26th, 2013 - 09:03 am - Link - Report abuse 0What are you talking about conq, in Europe you have no say whatsoever.
Oct 26th, 2013 - 09:06 am - Link - Report abuse 0You even have to accept that the cucumbers have a max bend rate...
They have found a formula to break the empasse - hurrah!!
Oct 26th, 2013 - 08:11 pm - Link - Report abuse 0The Mercosur negotiator must now move to harmonise protocols to enable the trade arrangements to be agreed and signed off by all parties. It is some task, but I have great hopes.
Mercosur must move in the world of 'men', and this is the start of something singularly important to both parties, where both are seen to be 'real men' (and, of course, I also mean 'real women'); proud peoples who learn to be proud together.
I anticipate the days of 'soy-only' are numbered.
South American agriculture and husbandry can match productions to markets, diversifying their produce-range in the sure understanding that there are firm, long-term markets for ALL products.
And, believe me, Europe, you REALLY need this break. You need South American food and raw materials, but most of all you need South American friends. And when I rail against corruption, it is to make all this happen, and happen honestly. Corruption of the trading process - by either or both parties - will be a blight that kills more than crops.
So much to say. Yes, so much to say.
If that would've been the usual tone Geoff, a lot more could've been accomplished.
Oct 27th, 2013 - 12:18 am - Link - Report abuse 0Because, in the end, the need is mutual.
This agreement, if it happens, will be the largest in our history ERROR.
Oct 27th, 2013 - 02:10 pm - Link - Report abuse 0They will continue to subsidize, will not continue to impose protectionist tariffs to our products. They just want to escape the decadence. They will cling on and we'll all drown.
NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!
8 Brasileiro
Oct 27th, 2013 - 07:31 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Oh dear!
IF, and it is a big IF, Cartes manages to pull the thing together in time then he will be a hero.
But if he fails?
You could think that the rest of the Mercosur “brats” have set him up to fail: but I couldn't possibly comment!
Let's hope he makes it, for all our sakes.
% of EU imports from Mercosur: 2.7%
Oct 27th, 2013 - 07:55 pm - Link - Report abuse 0% of EU exports to Mercosur: 3.0%
% of Mercosur imports from EU: 18.9%
% of Mercosur exports to EU: 19.7%
The EU is Mercosur's largest trading partner ahead of everyone else.
Mercosur is the EU's 8th largest trading partner behind places like Norway, Turkey and Switzerland and just ahead of India and South Korea.
73.2% of Mercosur exports to the EU are primary products such as resources and food, easily supplied from many different countries outside of Mercosur.
845% of EU exports to Mercsour are manufactured items that are not so easily replaced from countries outside of the EU.
The need isn't mutual but extremely one-sided. And Brazil and Uruguay are at least pragmatic enough to realise the need outweighs ideology.
Mercosul and European Union are strangers!
Oct 27th, 2013 - 08:32 pm - Link - Report abuse 0https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nXGPZaTKik
Dream in Brasiliero!
Oct 27th, 2013 - 10:57 pm - Link - Report abuse 0All you do is show how little you know with statements like tha.
Fully ONE FIFTH of all Mercosur's exports go to the EU. The EU is currently needed by Mercosur.
However within the EU, Mercosur is indeed relatively unknown.
With an economy twice the size of China's and bigger than the US; Mercosur is an economic backwater. If Brazil stopped gazing at Argentina's navel it could grow its exports to 10x their current level and have a massive transfer of wealth from Europe to Brazil.
You are no stranger to me, Brasieiro. I know you, and we are brothers.
Oct 28th, 2013 - 05:38 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Be part of making it work.
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