Analysis by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS / USDA) point out that the country has US$ 4 billion in agricultural exports that may be affected to some extent by the trade agreement between the European Union and Mercosur. The agreement has yet to be ratified by national parliaments.
Brazil has reduced import taxes and tariffs to zero for products used to combat Covid-19, including syringes and needles classified under codes 9018.31.11, 9018.31.19, 9018.31.90, 9018.32.19, and 9018.39.10 of the Mercosur Common Nomenclature. The products are included in the list of temporary tariff reductions covered by Gecex (Executive Management Committee of the Chamber of Foreign Trade), Resolution 17, from 17 March 2020.
Uruguay announced on Wednesday a raft of new measures to help contain the growing number of Covid-19 positive cases which if sustained could strain hospital and sanitary capacities.
Dry weather across some of the major producing regions in South America is putting upward pressure on corn and soybean prices at the start the new year. Dryness is expected to continue through the short term across southern Brazil and especially in the main-producing states in Argentina.
Argentina is holding the pro tempore rotating chair of Mercosur during the next six months and three are its main objectives during that period according to foreign ministry sources in Buenos Aires. They include Bolivia, the Falklands/Malvinas claim and trade accords and negotiations with other countries.
Mercosur countries will address environmental concerns raised by the European Union that have stalled ratification of a free trade deal between the two trade blocs, Argentina’s foreign minister said on Monday.
Distrust in Europe of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro's government is holding up ratification of a trade deal between the European Union and Mercosur, the EU ambassador to Brasilia said.
Uruguay will hand to Argentina next 16 December the pro tempore chair of the South American trade bloc Mercosur. The ceremony as happened six months before with Paraguay will be virtual given the coronavirus pandemic, according to a release from the Uruguayan Executive Office.
Two beef producers from Brazil and one from Argentina have had their exports to China suspended for one week after packaging of their products tested positive for traces of COVID-19, customs said. China's General Administration of Customs (GAC) made the announcement.
The International Contact Group issued a statement on Tuesday to reject the parliamentary elections organized by the dictatorship of Nicolás Maduro last Sunday in Venezuela. The block indicated that the electoral process did not comply “with the conditions accepted internationally, nor with the Venezuelan laws.”