MERCOSUR–EFTA Negotiation Week Concludes in Buenos Aires

MERCOSUR and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA)—a bloc composed of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland—held a round of negotiations from April 15 to 18 at the San Martín Palace in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Discussions focused on topics related to trade in goods, rules of origin, public procurement, trade and sustainable development, and legal review. It is worth noting that the Free Trade Agreement was initially concluded in early 2019.

This round built upon the agreements reached in 2019 and the intensive technical exchanges held in recent months. Both parties have demonstrated their political will to make progress toward concluding the negotiations as soon as possible.

EFTA countries represent a free trade area of 14 million people. Three of its members—Switzerland, Norway, and Iceland—rank among the five countries with the highest purchasing power in the world. Together, they have a combined GDP of over USD 1.2 trillion and play a prominent role in international trade.

The Argentine delegation, which is coordinating the negotiations on behalf of MERCOSUR, is headed by Ambassador Gabriel Arturo Martínez, Undersecretary for International Economic Negotiations and Integration at Argentina’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Paraguayan delegation, currently holding the Pro Tempore Presidency of MERCOSUR, was led by Minister Alberto Caballero Gennari, Director General of Economic Policy, and included representatives from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Economy and Finance, Industry and Commerce, and the National Directorate of Intellectual Property.

Read the news in Portuguese here.