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MercoPress, en Español

Montevideo, April 23rd 2025 - 21:30 UTC

Mercosur

  • Thursday, February 13th 2025 - 10:18 UTC

    Paraná-Paraguay Waterway concession tender canceled amid foul play allegations

    Only bidders DEME stained the process with various complaints, Adorni explained

    The Argentine Government of President Javier Milei Wednesday declared the tender for the Paraná-Paraguay Waterway - which handles 80% of the country's exports and is also vital for Paraguay - concession void and launched an investigation into the only bidders: Dredging Environmental and Marine Engineering (DEME) for allegedly pressuring other potential bidders not to participate. The National Commission for the Defense of Competition will look into possible anti-competitive practices or an illicit association, it was explained.

  • Wednesday, February 12th 2025 - 14:34 UTC

    Argentina: Irregularities detected in key waterway concession process

    The government of Javier Milei launched the bidding process in November 2024

    Argentina's Administrative Investigations Prosecutor’s Office (PIA) has identified “serious irregularities” in the bidding process for the concession of the Paraná-Paraguay waterway, a crucial trade corridor for the region. The waterway is essential for exporting agricultural products from Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Uruguay to the Atlantic.

  • Friday, February 7th 2025 - 07:13 UTC

    Brazil needs to purchase 3,5 million tons of wheat, despite higher yields in domestic production, says CEPEA

    Argentina is Brazil’s largest wheat supplier, and the President Milei government has reduced export taxes which should help sales to its Mercosur partner

    Wheat production 2024/2025 in Brazil fell by 2.6% compared to the previous year, with the National Supply Company (Conab) forecasting a harvest of 7.89 million tons in 2024. This also represents an 11.9% reduction in the cultivated area, which shrank to 3.06 million hectares.

  • Friday, January 31st 2025 - 09:24 UTC

    Swiss minister tells Peña her country interested in dealing with Mercosur

    Switzerland “has many companies that are interested in investing worldwide,” Budlinger explained

    Switzerland's Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Helen Budlinger told Paraguayan President Santiago Peña that her country was interested in expanding businesses with Asunción and with all of the Southern Common Market (Mercosur). She made those remarks Thursday as she welcomed Peña to the non-European Union nation which thus covets a separate Free Trade Agreement (FTA).

  • Wednesday, January 22nd 2025 - 21:13 UTC

    Milei would have no qualms breaking up with Mercosur if need be for FTA with US

    Milei is willing to pay any price to drive along what he thinks is prosperity's road

    Argentine President Javier Milei said in an interview with Bloomberg in Davos (Switzerland) that if breaking up with the Southern Common Market (Mercosur) was a requirement to sign a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the United States, he would not hesitate to do it.

  • Wednesday, January 22nd 2025 - 20:53 UTC

    Argentina picks Béraud to head all three Montevideo-based embassies

    Béraud is a career diplomat who has served as Ambassador to Japan and Costa Rica

    Argentina's Libertarian Government Wednesday announced the appointment of career Ambassador Alan Claudio Béraud as the new mission chief before Uruguay. Béraud is already stationed in Montevideo, where he heads Argentina's representations before the Southern Comon Market (Mercosur) and the Latin American Integration Association (ALADI).

  • Thursday, January 9th 2025 - 09:55 UTC

    New rules for foreigners wishing to travel to post-Brexit UK

    ETAs can be obtained from the Foreign Office's website and may vary depending on the applicant's nationality

    Starting Jan. 8, travelers who do not need a visa to enter post-Brexit UK for leisure will still be required to get an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) from the Foreign Office's website. This new permit allows foreign visitors to stay up to six months in the country as nonresidents (not allowed to work or study) and costs 10 pounds sterling.

  • Thursday, January 2nd 2025 - 07:29 UTC

    Chinese meat industry and farmers complaining about surging Mercosur imports

    Safeguard measures taken by the world’s biggest beef buyer can be expected to hurt top exporters and trade partners of China, Mercosur block partners, and Australia.

    Chinese farmers and meat industry associations are complaining about the surge in foreign beef imports and the Ministry of Commerce has promised an investigation into the situation, according to Beijing government sources.

  • Monday, December 30th 2024 - 10:43 UTC

    WaPo says Paraná Waterway riddled with drug trafficking

    Drug trafficking would go from airstrips in Bolivia to Paraguay and then on to the River Plate, the Washington Post explained

    The Paraguay-Paraná Waterway channeling myriads of tons of cargo every year is one of the leading passages of cocaine shipments bound for Hamburg and Antwerp, among other destinations, the Washington Post reported. It runs for more than 3,300 kilometers, connecting at least 150 ports in five countries. It is arguably the most important river trade route on the continent.

  • Wednesday, December 18th 2024 - 10:59 UTC

    EU/Mercosur trade deal: How detrimental for Mercosur and how beneficial for EU farmers?

    EC President Ursula von del Leyen with Mercosur leaders, Argentina’s Javier Milei; Uruguay’s Luis Lacalle Pou; Lula da Silva, Brazil and Paraguay’s Santiago Peña. 

    A few days after European Commission President Ursula von del Leyen signed a long-pending trade agreement with four South American nations, French farmers were back on the streets dumping manure. This time they parked the tractors near the tunnel in Calais that goes through the English Channel, according to a report from German political and business analyst Uwe Hessler.