The webinar focused on analyzing the current status and strategic implications of the Association Agreement between the European Union and MERCOSUR in a global context marked by fragmentation of the multilateral order and geopolitical tensions. The discussion revolved around the decisions that must be made from now on in each of the four countries in order to take advantage of the agreement, identifying both opportunities—such as the potential in agribusiness and critical minerals—and associated risks, especially for the manufacturing industry and SMEs in the face of stricter regulatory requirements and external competition.
The panelists agreed that the agreement goes beyond tariff reduction and requires an active preparation agenda: regulatory harmonization, institutional strengthening, improved traceability, productive adaptation, and public policies for reconversion. Its impact will not be automatic or uniform across countries and sectors, and will depend on each country’s ability to transform international commitments into sustainable productive development.
Participants included:
♦️ Ana Basco, Director of Insight LAC
♦️ Andrés Malamud, PhD in Political Science and researcher at the University of Lisbon
♦️ Otaviano Canuto, former Executive Director for Brazil at the IMF and currently a Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution
♦️ Ignacio Bartesaghi, PhD in International Relations and Director of the Institute of International Business at the Catholic University of Uruguay (UCU)
♦️ Esteban Actis, PhD in International Relations, UNR, Argentina, and associate at Insight LAC
♦️ Gustavo Rojas, specialist in International Relations from Paraguay