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.
Mercosur from a real point of view exits, but institutionally it’s a “chewing gum” claimed Uruguayan president Jose Mujica who anticipated he would demand from the block’s partners that Uruguay be allowed to sign bilateral trade agreements with third parties.
Paraguay’s Vice president Federico Franco and his wife lawmaker Emilia Alfaro are in hospital in the capital Asuncion following infection symptoms of the mosquito transmitted dengue which is very common in tropical areas during the rainy season.
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’.
The Bolivian province of Santa Cruz has declared a sanitary emergency in the region following an outbreak of the mosquito transmitted dengue fever which has already caused at least six deaths, according to local officials.
The value of Paraguayan beef exports could drop 30% in 2012 compared to the previous year given the loss of markets following two outbreaks of Foot and Mouth Disease, FMD, points out the country’ Centre for Analysis of the Paraguayan Economy, CADEP.
“In practical terms Venezuela if fully integrated to Mercosur” said Uruguayan Foreign Affairs minister Luis Almagro during a meeting this week with foreign correspondents.
Paraguay declared on Wednesday animal sanitary emergency in the district of San Pedro, 400 kilometres north of the capital Asuncion where this week an outbreak of foot and mouth disease was confirmed in a farm.
Brazil announced it will continue to receive different meats from the whole territory of landlocked Paraguay with the exception of the country of San Pedro were an outbreak of foot and mouth disease was confirmed this week, the second in four months
Paraguay’ Livestock Sanitary Office has confirmed the isolation of a cattle farm in the north of the country where an apparent outbreak of foot and mouth disease has been reported. The farm is approximately 35 kilometres from the outbreak reported last September.