Uruguayan President José Mujica admitted trade relations with Argentina are “very complicated” because of the import restrictions implemented by the government of President Cristina Fernández and did not discard ‘mirror’ measures to counter
Brazil imposed additional levies on the import of blankets from Mercosur associates Paraguay and Uruguay alleging triangulation of Chinese textiles, which are restricted because of dumping practices.
Brazil’s private sector said it would grant Argentina a “confidence vote” and would wait until the end of February before assessing the consequence of the new import restrictions imposed by the government of President Cristina Fernandez.
Santiago media reports increasing disappointment in the Chilean government and private sector with the latest batch of Argentine measures to restrict imports and want the issue ‘top of the agenda’ when President Cristina Fernandez visits Chile at the end of the month.
The new trade barriers enforced by the Argentine government are “insignificant, nothing to worry about,” Uruguayan president José Mujíca said to a Montevideo newspaper insisting that the best path is ‘dialogue’ dismounting each obstacle ‘step by step’.
Brazilian Secretary of Foreign Trade Tatiana Prazeres will be travelling to Buenos Aires next Monday to address with Argentine counterparts the extent of the last set of measures implemented by the administration of President Cristina Fernandez to slow down the flow of imports.
In the framework of the so called Plan Maior, Brazil adopted measures to stimulate its industry with the purpose of increasing productivity and containing competition from Chinese produce in its domestic market.
A Uruguayan government delegation will begin talks on Tuesday in Brazil to address the latest restrictions imposed by Mercosur largest member and which threaten several manufacturing sectors, particularly the auto industry, said Foreign Affairs minister Luis Almagro.
The Economist in its latest edition has a two-chapter piece on trade restrictions imposed by South America’s two biggest economies. The first (“Keep Out”) refers to Argentina and the second (“A self made siege’) to Brazil.
Uruguay is reconsidering the situation and links with Mercosur, given the recent trade obstacles and tariffs imposed by Mercosur senior partners Brazil and Argentina, announced President Jose Mujica in an interview.