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Montevideo, March 29th 2024 - 08:17 UTC

 

 

Uruguay deal: China ratifies successful completion of FTA feasibility probe

Friday, July 15th 2022 - 20:41 UTC
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“It is very good that a step further has been taken,” Aishemberg stressed “It is very good that a step further has been taken,” Aishemberg stressed

China's Ministry of Commerce Spokeswoman Shu Jue Ting Thursday ratified her country deemed the possible conclusion of a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Uruguay to be of the utmost importance.

The Asian official also confirmed what President Luis Lacalle Pou had announced Wednesday regarding the feasibility of such an accord: “Since China and Uruguay launched the joint feasibility study of the free trade agreement in September last year, the working teams of the two sides have worked closely together to carry out relevant research work,” Shu Jue Ting said while adding that “at the same time, we are open to negotiating free trade agreements with other Mercosur members and in general. China is willing to further deepen mutually beneficial cooperation with Mercosur countries through negotiating and signing free trade agreements and other means.”

Uruguay's Exporters' Union manager Teresa Aishemberg welcomed the announcements from both governments. “It is very good that a step further has been taken,” she stressed.

Aishemberg also pointed out that “after this step, the terms of reference are still to be drawn up, all the issues are negotiated together with the other party by order of priority and what kind of sectors will be more or less protected and those that are ready to enter China.”

“The aim is to facilitate the entry to the Chinese market, which is actually easy to enter, but lowering the taxes that one leaves to the People's Republic of China,” she added. However, she recalled there were sanitary issues that needed to be taken care of diligently.

Meanwhile, Uruguayan opposition lawmakers of the Broad Front have announced they would summon Foreign Minister Francisco Bustillo to Congress to brief legislators on the progress of these negotiations, including the roadmap to be followed.

“I think it is important that Uruguay has reached this stage and then we have to see more of the fine print. Now the real part begins, where we have to see if the little girl in the movie is saved or not,” Broad Front Senator Daniel Caggiani explained.

“It is good for the Uruguayan economy and for Uruguay to be on good terms with Mercosur, with China, with Europe, with the United States, to have most of the doors open. Here it is not a matter of closing one door to open another because sometimes on the way you can close both, Uruguay has to be smart,” he added.

“Which are the productive sectors that win? What is gained?” is what members of the Uruguayan Parliament need to know, he went on.

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