Brazil expressed its disenchantment with the Argentine policy of delaying the approval of the so-called nonautomatic import licenses which has seen millions of dollars in sales held at the border. This situation has been increasing in recent months, in what is considered a breach of bilateral accords in the framework of Mercosur agreements, and the World Trade Organization, WTO, rules.
After Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel stated on Friday “considerable doubts” over whether to keep backing the European Union’s (EU) trade deal with the Mercosur due to environmental threats that represent the deforestation in Brazil’s Amazonia, the Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce (DIHK) responded defending the agreement that was reached last year.
An estimate by Brazil´s Confederation of Agriculture and Livestock (CNA) points out that the conclusion of a free trade agreement between Mercosur and Canada has the potential to increase Brazilian export revenues of agricultural products by US$7.8 billion.
After a ten-year hiatus, the South African Department of Agriculture announced the opening of the market for Paraguayan abattoirs to export beef and meat products. According to the Paraguayan foreign ministry, the reopening of this market by the African country was possible through joint work with the Animal Health and Quality Service (Senacsa).
Due to the Paraná river drought, which affected Argentina’s soy oil-exporting capacity, Cattalini Terminais Marítimos, which handles almost 70% of Brazil’s soy oil exports through its facilities in the port of Paranaguá, predicts a 25% increase in shipments this year.
The emergence of the so-called Frugal Five led by Austria and Netherlands, has blocked so far the European Union recovery plan, with a massive injection of funds, and forebodes hard times to finally reach the implementation of an EU trade agreement with Mercosur.
The southern state of Santa Catarina, which borders with the Argentine province of Misiones decreed on Saturday strict confinement measures following a record death toll from the coronavirus pandemic.
Mercosur associate, Suriname elected a new president Monday, ending the dictatorial rule of Desi Bouterse. Chan Santokhi, an Indian-origin former police chief, won a landslide victory in the general elections conducted in the country in May.
European Ombudsman Emily O'Reilly has opened an inquiry into why the European Commission did not finalize an updated Sustainability Impact Assessment (SIA) before the conclusion of the Mercosur-EU trade agreement in June 2019.
Mercosur full-member presidents and their associate peers backed Argentina's sovereignty claim over the Falklands/Malvinas Islands in the framework of the 56th Heads of State summit, which took place in Paraguay through a video conference when the pro tempore chair was delivered by Brazil to Uruguay for the second half of 2020.