MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Uruguay's Orsi hopes to work out tariffs issue with Trump's gov't

Uruguay should stick to its own diplomatic approach, Orsi maintained

Uruguayan President Yamandú Orsi Thursday underscored the importance of dialogue with the United States after the tariffs announced Wednesday by Donald Trump. The Broad Front (Frente Amplio - FA) leader noted that countries such as Mexico and Canada were exempted from those surcharges, which meant there was room for negotiations.

Hence, Orsi advocated for “diplomatic intelligence” given that the Southern Common Market (Mercosur) was not the most affected by the Republican administration's decision. In this scenario, Orsi insisted Uruguay should stick to its own diplomatic approach, despite strong partnerships like Brazil, to defend national interests in a complex global landscape forcing “us to sit down and talk.”

“In this case, the fact that it is 10% does not put us in the worst place, but it is already an increase in tariffs that can complicate our production chains,” Orsi explained amid expectations “of having good negotiations.”

Regarding Brazil's role in this crisis, Orsi pointed out that “with the Brazilian government, issues are more Mercosur related” but Uruguay must “also have the capacity to negotiate, not alone, but, as Uruguay, to defend our own interests.”

“Brazil has been a partner that has helped us a lot,” he also admitted.

“I believe that today you have to have your own diplomacy, to exercise what is called diplomatic intelligence, to move carefully, because the world is complex, it is strange,” he also reckoned.

“Our Foreign Ministry and our Economy Ministry fundamentally have to be in permanent contact, in this case, with the government and with the American diplomacy to see what are the requirements and what are the things that suddenly move us to take some kind of decisions,” he also pointed out.

The President also addressed the closure of the Colonia-based Calcar dairy company. “The news of its difficulties is long-standing,” he mentioned while regretting the outcome. “Everything possible” will be done given that the department of Colonia “is quite punished” and Calcar's demise “is a national concern,” he said while promising that actions to support the dairy sector would be taken.