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Argentina - Country Commercial GuideArgentina is a founding member of the Association for Latin American Integration (Asociación Latinoamericana de Integración, ALADI), which was created in 1980 with the long-term goal of establishing a Latin American Common Market. Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela are also founding members; Cuba attained full membership in 1999. Under the ALADI, member countries sign regional and bilateral agreements that allow partial trade liberalization that can then be extended to other members. Argentina has several regional, multilateral, and bilateral agreements.
Argentina is a member of the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR- Mercado Común del Sur), which entered into force in January 1991. MERCOSUR members include Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay. Venezuela is currently suspended from the block. Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, and Suriname are associate members of the block.
MERCOSUR-Southern African Customs Union
In December 2000, MERCOSUR signed a framework agreement toward the creation of a free trade area with the Southern African Customs Union (Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, and Swaziland). In 2016, a preferential trade agreement entered into force.
After more than 20 years of negotiations, MERCOSUR and the European Union concluded a comprehensive trade agreement in June 2019. Prior to entering into force, the agreement must be ratified by the European Parliament and the parliaments of each of MERCOSUR member country.
MERCOSUR–European Free Trade Association
In 2019, Mercosur signed a free trade agreement (FTA) with the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) comprised of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland. The agreement implies a significant reduction and elimination of tariffs for agricultural and agro-industrial goods. EFTA also grants exclusive access quotas to Mercosur for meat, honey, rice, wine, and olive oil. The FTA is pending ratification by the Congress of each of the signature countries.
MERCOSUR – Israel Free Trade Agreement
In 2005, in Mercosur signed a Framework Agreement on Trade whose objective is to provide the conditions and mechanisms to negotiate a trade agreement. Two years later, the Mercosur-Israel FTA was signed in December 2007.
MERCOSUR – Egypt Free Trade Agreement
In 2004, in Mercosur received a proposal from Egypt to negotiate an FTA. Six years later, the Mercosur-Egypt FTA was signed in August 2010.
MERCOSUR-India Preferential Trade Agreement
What started as a Framework in 2003, the Mercosur-India Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) entered effect in June 2009 and grants tariff concessions that ranging from 10% to 100% over 450 tariff lines.
MERCOSUR-Singapore Free Trade Agreement
In July 2022, Mercosur and Singapore concluded negotiations of an FTA which is now pending ratification.