Photo: Diana Mondino’s Instagram account
The Argentine Foreign Minister, Diana Mondino, has expressed her country’s support for initiating trade negotiations between the regional economic bloc Mercosur and China during an official visit to São Paulo. In an interview with international agencies, Mondino emphasized the importance of advancing trade agreements with different countries, stating that “a trade deal with China would benefit us all.”
Regarding negotiations with China, Mondino acknowledged that each Mercosur country has different priorities and challenges in this process. Uruguay, one of the smaller economies within the bloc, may have fewer concessions to make compared to Brazil, which may require a more cautious approach.
At Mercosur’s presidential group meeting held in December in Rio de Janeiro, then-President of Argentina, Alberto Fernández, had shown a favorable stance towards engaging with China, amidst the cooling of negotiations with the European Union (EU), which have been ongoing for almost three decades.
Negotiations with China have been a priority for Uruguay, one of the Mercosur member states, which has shown interest in initiating them unilaterally if necessary. This reflects a shift in focus within Mercosur, with Argentina under the government of Javier Milei showing a favorable stance towards these negotiations, especially after the stalemate in talks with the EU.
Mondino stressed the convenience of advancing the Mercosur–EU agreement, highlighting that after 25 years of negotiations, postponing the agreement would be “a waste of time.” Additionally, she addressed concerns about deforestation, stating that it is a problem that must be addressed with specific measures for the countries involved, without affecting others.
The Foreign Minister also highlighted the potential benefits of an agreement with the EU, not only for Mercosur but also for the EU itself, by significantly reducing production costs. However, she acknowledged that such agreements do not come without costs but insisted on the importance of moving forward with negotiations.
Argentina’s support for negotiations with China reflects a change in the country’s stance under the Milei administration. This position may indicate a greater openness of the bloc to new trade partnerships and an adaptation to a changing global economic environment. These actions reflect a strategy of diversification and the pursuit of new trade opportunities for the region.
Know the main source:
El Gobierno de Milei, a favor de que Mercosur inicie negociaciones comerciales con China | MSN (2024, abril 16)https://www.msn.com/es-us/noticias/mundo/el-gobierno-de-milei-a-favor-de-que-mercosur-inicie-negociaciones-comerciales-con-china/ar-BB1lJw0o
Other related sources:
Canciller argentina: “Uruguay no tendría que ceder mucho en un TLC con China» | Grupo Multimedio (2024, abril 17)
https://grupormultimedio.com/canciller-argentina-uruguay-no-tendria-que-ceder-mucho-en-un-tlc-con-china-id117055/
Argentina le pone plazos al Acuerdo Mercosur-UE y le abre la puerta a China | Ámbito (2024, abril 16)
https://www.ambito.com/uruguay/argentina-le-pone-plazos-al-acuerdo-mercosur-ue-y-le-abre-la-puerta-china-n5982620