MERCOSUR, COMMON TARIFF COMING SOON

Intense and decisive days for the future of Mercosur’s external relations. The negotiating and technical teams of the regional organisation have been working since March and should publish the new conditions for the Common Customs Tariff.

Since the beginning of the year, Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay have been engaged in a fundamental dialogue for the successful application of the trade and political agreements. In particular, the signatory parties to the Asunción Treaty are discussing a reduction in the common customs tariff duties on imports from third countries, according to an oscillation between 0 and 35%. Uruguay and Brazil are pushing for an opening to the conclusion of specific trade agreements between Member States and third countries, Argentina does not seem to agree with such a position, while Paraguay remains almost extraneous to this debate, while not hiding its preference for the thesis of Uruguay and Brazil. The debate on the Common Customs Tariff is just one of the issues which show how the regional agreement is going through a new phase; in existence for 30 years now, the ongoing modernization must be considered as an adaptation to modern commercial needs and not as a failure of the idea behind the project. Sure, different political styles and national interests hinder innovation, but many experiences of regional integration have been successful after initial conflicts and intense negotiations.