30/06/2026 16:16 - Politica
The LXVIII Ordinary Meeting of Mercosur took place in Asunción, Paraguay, with notable absences and an ambitious commercial agenda seeking new markets for member countries.
Argentine Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno announced the launch of negotiations for a free trade agreement with Japan and the beginning of conversations with Vietnam. The first round with Vietnam is scheduled for August 2026 in Buenos Aires. Progress was also made on negotiations with India.
"The bloc faces a historic challenge: opening to the world," Quirno emphasized, highlighting the need for "a simpler tariff, regulatory convergence, and more trade agreements" to compete internationally.
Paraguayan Foreign Minister Rubén Ramírez called for an "equitable distribution" of export quotas among all Mercosur members toward the European Union, opposing distribution based solely on "historical trade criteria".
"If we negotiate together, assume costs together, and make concessions in Mercosur's name, we must ensure all members can benefit from obtained opportunities," Ramírez argued during the 68th Common Market Council meeting.
Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira criticized unilateral negotiations by some bloc members with third-party countries, citing "initiatives that contradict the spirit of the Treaty of Asunción and threaten the maintenance of the common external tariff."
In a veiled reference to the trade agreement signed between Argentina and the United States, Vieira warned that "breaches of the common external tariff weaken the customs union's integrity and could lead to revising the integration process."
President Javier Milei did not attend the presidential summit on June 30, 2026. He remained in Argentina to work with Diego Santilli, who was sworn in as the new Cabinet Chief at 17:30 at the Salón Blanco of Casa Rosada (the Argentine presidential palace).
Argentina was represented by Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno.
Foreign ministers from Uruguay, Paraguay, and Bolivia signed a joint statement to strengthen this trilateral mechanism. Bolivia assumed the pro tempore Secretariat and was tasked with coordinating the annual action plan and convening the next meeting.
Member countries agreed to promote "logistical and port integration" and facilitate regional navigation as strategic axes for strengthening the bloc.
Mercosur (Southern Common Market) is a regional integration process founded in 1991 through the Treaty of Asunción. Its full members are Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay, while Bolivia is in the process of accession. The bloc represents a market of over 295 million inhabitants and a combined GDP of approximately USD 2.5 trillion. The common external tariff is one of its main instruments, though it has suffered multiple exceptions in recent years.
For international readers: Mercosur is South America's largest trade bloc, similar in concept to the European Union, though less integrated. It was created to promote free trade and fluid movement of goods, people, and currency between member nations.
Alfredo S. Quiroga
