Mercosur, EU Try To Break Free-Trade Deadlock

Jan. 13, 2005
By Agence France-Presse Representatives of South America's Mercosur trade bloc and European Union negotiators prepared Aug. 9 to break last month's logjam to create a free-trade zone between the two blocs. "There is no room for negotiating tactics," ...
By Agence France-Presse Representatives of South America's Mercosur trade bloc and European Union negotiators prepared Aug. 9 to break last month's logjam to create a free-trade zone between the two blocs. "There is no room for negotiating tactics," said Regis Arslanian, the negotiator for Mercosur, which comprises Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. "They will have to put their cards on the table." The two sides will meet in Brazil's capital Tuesday through Thursday. An EU-Mercosur agreement would eliminate tariffs between the two blocs and raise importation quotas for a limited number of agricultural products sold in Europe. Arslanian said that Mercosur broke off last month's talks in Brussels because the EU offer was "insufficient." Europeans had sought lower quotas than those currently in force. In 2003, 70% of Mercosur exports to the European Union were primary goods, mostly agricultural. However, of EU exports to Mercosur, 89% were secondary, or manufactured, goods, while only 7% were primary goods. Europe is seeking further concessions allowing it access to Mercosur's services sector, investments and government procurements. Arslanian said the outcome of this week's meeting in Brasilia will determine whether a deadline for reaching an EU-Mercosur agreement will be met by Oct. 31. Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2004

Popular Sponsored Recommendations

Empowering the Modern Workforce: The Power of Connected Worker Technologies

March 1, 2024
Explore real-world strategies to boost worker safety, collaboration, training, and productivity in manufacturing. Emphasizing Industry 4.0, we'll discuss digitalization and automation...

3 Best Practices to Create a Product-Centric Competitive Advantage with PRO.FILE PLM

Jan. 25, 2024
Gain insight on best practices and strategies you need to accelerate engineering change management and reduce time to market. Register now for your opportunity to accelerate your...

Transformative Capabilities for XaaS Models in Manufacturing

Feb. 14, 2024
The manufacturing sector is undergoing a pivotal shift toward "servitization," or enhancing product offerings with services and embracing a subscription model. This transition...

Shifting Your Business from Products to Service-Based Business Models: Generating Predictable Revenues

Oct. 27, 2023
Executive summary on a recent IndustryWeek-hosted webinar sponsored by SAP

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of IndustryWeek, create an account today!