The European Union has called on Argentina to respect international trade commitments, following on the announcement by the Minister of Industry to boycott the purchase of imports originating in the UK in an escalating row over the Falklands.
The Argentine Foreign Ministry suggested in an official Wednesday release that “the EU and the Union of South American nations (UNASUR) analyze the Malvinas islands conflict and urge both countries (UK and Argentina) to negotiate”.
Argentina's top diplomat in Britain was summoned to London's Foreign Office on Wednesday to explain his country's decision to ask 20 leading companies to stop importing British products and supplies.
The Buenos Aires media, basically the ambito.com site reports that Argentine industry and business leaders were contacted by the Ministry of Industry which tried to persuade them from buying British supplies.
Argentine industrial production is expected to expand 6% to 7% this year, Industry Minister Debora Giorgi said in a statement Sunday. That would put industrial growth inline with 2011, when it rose 6.5%, according to the national statistics agency, Indec.
The Argentine government ratified it won’t postpone the new legislation on imports as requested by local business leaders and minimized the current conflict with Brazilian industrialists who have bitterly complained about the new restrictions.
Reacting to Brazil’s trade minister Fernando Pimentel comments describing Argentina as “a permanent problem” Industry Minister Debora Giorgi said that “the trade balance reality between Argentina and Brazil does not warrant Pimentel's complaints”.
The Argentine government has began a round of consultations with the manufacturing sector to determine which capital goods from non Mercosur members can be listed for a higher common external tariff as was recently agreed by the trade block.
Argentina supported by Brazil has proposed increasing Mercosur Foreign External Tariff to better defend the group when country members are being flooded with cheap imports.
Argentina’s Ministry of Industry announced Tuesday an investment of 30 million dollars for the manufacturing of mini-components, notebooks and LCD television sets in the province of Tierra del Fuego, extreme south of the country.