Brazil is deeply concerned with the declining trade export volumes to Argentina, which while last year expanded 8,9% in the first four months of 2024 have fallen 29,9%, and experts wonder if the Mercosur partner finally recovers from its current recession, will it continue on trusting a bilateral relation or appeal to China, US, or Europe.
Paraguayan authorities signed a memorandum of understanding with Taiwan's Master Transportation to produce electric buses for the South American country. The arrangements were made during President Santiago Peña's tour of the Island with Industry and Commerce Minister Javier Giménez, who signed on behalf of the visiting delegation. Company President Ting-Fa Wu represented the producers of the DMIT e-Bus.
By Oliver Pieper - The free trade deal between the European Union and the South American trade bloc Mercosur could become the world's largest agreement, involving a market of a total of 780 million people. But in late March, French President Emmanuel Macron not only described it as “a very bad agreement,” he even suggested it should be “left behind” and called for “a new agreement.”
Argentina's Presidential Spokesman Manuel Adorni said in an interview with Montevideo's El País that Presidents Luis Lacalle Pou and Javier Milei had different points of view regarding the State's role in each country's economy. The official also addressed the delay in materializing an encounter between both heads of state despite the short geographical distance separating them.
Brazil's National Supply Company (Conab) has been entrusted with purchasing one million tons of rice to feed the people of Rio Grande do Sul and avoid the intervention of middle people seeking a black market profit from the victims of the unprecedented storms. Under normal circumstances, Rio Grande do Sul accounts for 70% of Brazil's rice production.
The Governor of the Argentine province of Corrientes Gustavo Valdés insisted that the Foreign Ministry and the Senate should get involved after another clash was reported between unauthorized Paraguayan fishermen and the Coast Guard (Prefectura Naval Argentina - PNA). “I hope they take care and do not continue denying the conflict as they have been,” Valdés underlined.
Paraguay's Export Single Window Consortium (Convue) confirmed this week that shipments in the first four months of 2024 reached US$ 2,790 million, representing a US$ 380 million yoy increase as per the Single Export Window System (DGVUE), under the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, based on certificates of origin.
Water levels below average at the Paraná-Paraguay river waterway have traders concerned over the future of their business. However, there seems to be consensus on the need to develop a master plan to tackle the grim situation stemming from discouraging precipitation forecasts despite abundant rainfall in recent weeks.
The Mercosur/European Union trade and cooperation agreement, “is a complicated process but it is also a matter of time and timing”, according to Rupert Schlegelmilch, chief EU negotiator of the accord who recently visited Mercosur country and associate members to meet government officials and business groups to confirm EU's determination to finish the deal.
Paraguayan President Santiago Peña and Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida met Friday in Asunción to strengthen bilateral ties as well as to further discuss a free trade agreement (FTA) with the Southern Common Market (Mercosur). Peña, who holds the group's rotating presidency, expressed in a statement his “fervent desire” to “move forward with a free trade agreement between Mercosur and Japan.”