The recent controversy with the French Carrefour raised the debate about the agreement between Mercosur and the European Union (EU). The last round of negotiations between the countries had a , and with that, Brazil can add another agreement to the list of more than 30 treaties to which it is part — some in force and others under negotiation.
According to the Integrated Foreign Trade System (Siscomex), the Brazilian government has agreements with three International Trade Organizations, they are:
- World Trade Organization (WTO);
- Southern Common Market (Mercosur): Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Venezuela and Bolivia;
- Latin American Integration Association (Aladi): Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, Mexico, Paraguay, Panama, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela.
Thus, Brazil maintains trade agreements with 30 countries of the most diverse orders, rules and exchanges.
Mexico, for example, has three Economic Complementation Agreements (ACEs 53, 54 and 55) in force and a Regional Tariff Preference Agreement jointly with the Aladi countries, of which Brazil is a part.
The ACE aims to create a free trade area between the States Parties to Mercosur and Mexico, and while it is not achieved, trade between the parties is regulated by other agreements, such as automotive and non-automotive products (ACE 54 and 55 ).
Brazil also has agreements with Argentina, such as ACE 18, which promoted the elimination of import tax collection between the bloc’s countries in the period from 1991 to 1994.
Cuba is also on the list of countries that have established treaties with the Brazilian government, established by ACE 62, signed between Mercosur and the Caribbean island on July 21, 2006, to boost commercial exchange through the reduction or elimination of import tariffs and other restrictions.
See the full list below:
Brazil is negotiating with eight countries under the Mercosur order, including Canada, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates and, as previously mentioned, the European Union (EU).
For Tomaz Paoliello, professor of International Relations at PUC-SP, “the most important trade policy for Brazil is Mercosur. It is more than simply a trade agreement, as it is a regional integration organization. But it orders all other trade agreements that Brazil has signed and seeks to sign.”
“The Brazilian strategy was to seek agreements by negotiating blocs. This is one of the reasons why Brazil has few trade agreements compared to some of its neighbors, such as Chile, Colombia or Peru”, explained the professor.
