MERCOSUR countries

The funding States Parties of MERCOSUR and signatories of the Treaty of Asuncion are Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.

Given that the Treaty of Asuncion is open to new additions of other States Parties of the Latin American Integration Association (ALADI), Venezuela* was established as the first Latin American State to adhere to the constitutive treaty in 2006 and more recently, Bolivia in 2015.

The Protocol of Accession of Bolivia to MERCOSUR was signed by all of the States Parties in 2015. The Instrument of Ratification was delivered by Bolivia in July 2024 and has a term of up to 4 years to incorporate the normative acquis of the bloc.

*The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela is suspended in all the rights and obligations inherent to its status as a State Party of MERCOSUR, in accordance with the provisions of the second paragraph of the Article 5 of the Protocol of Ushuaia.

**The Plurinational State of Bolivia, new State Party, in accordance with Decision 20/19.

Requirements: to be part of the Latin American Integration Association (ALADI) and to comply with the process of accession as foreseen in the MERCOSUR internal regulations.

The main steps are:

• Written request submitted to the Council of the Common Market (CMC) through the Pro Tempore Presidency
• Unanimous approval expressed by Decision of the CMC
• The Common Market Group (GMC) then negotiates the conditions and terms of accession through an Ad Hoc Group (with representatives of the acceding State and the States Parties) and forwards this decision to the CMC for approval
• Subscription to an accession protocol that must be incorporated to the domestic legal systems of the acceding State and States Parties.

While the accession protocol is not in effect, the acceding State can only exercise the right to speak at MERCOSUR forums and at meetings held by decision-making bodies.

Aspects included in the negotiation: adhesion to the Treaty of Asunción (TA), Protocol of Ouro Preto (POP) and the Protocol of Olivos (PO); adoption of the Common External Tariff (AEC) and definition of the convergence schedule for its application; adherence to the Economic Complementation Agreement (ACE) No. 18 and additional protocols; adoption of the normative acquis of MERCOSUR; adoption of international instruments concluded under the framework of the TA; incorporation to agreements concluded with third countries or groups of countries, and participation in ongoing external negotiations.

Applications to acquire the status of Associate State are presented to the CMC and channelled through the Pro Tempore Presidency (PPT). It is mandatory to adhere to the Protocol of Ushuaia on Democratic Commitment in MERCOSUR, the Republic of Bolivia and the Republic of Chile (July 24, 1998) and the Presidential Declaration on Democratic Commitment in MERCOSUR (June 25, 1996). Adherence to other treaties related to the political, social and citizen dimensions of MERCOSUR is facultative.

The Associated States are those members of ALADI with whom MERCOSUR subscribes free trade agreements, and which subsequently request to be considered as such. The Associated States are authorized to participate in meetings of MERCOSUR bodies that deal with issues of common interest. This is the current situation of Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Panamá and Peru.

Similarly, Associated States may also be those countries MERCOSUR enters into agreements with under Article 25 of the 1980 Treaty of Montevideo (TM80) (agreements with other States or economic integration areas of Latin America); this being the case of Guyana and Suriname.