This month’s trends
Between late February and March 21, 2016, the global trade policy agenda continued to be defined by the signing of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). At the regional level there was greater dynamism in bilateral regional agreements and integration and negotiation schemes in comparison with the previous period.
360º Panorama
Over the course of the month there was progress on 23 existing agreements and ten trade negotiations (six advanced and two new).
New Negotiations
- Chile–Uruguay: Chile begins negotiations with Uruguay towards a free trade agreement (link in Spanish)
Advanced Negotiations
- Pacific Alliance: Meeting of Foreign Ministers of the Pacific Alliance,Pacific Alliance and MERCOSUR work on a joint agenda to facilitate trade (link in Spanish).
- Central America–South Korea: South Korea and Central America start third round of FTA negotiations (link in Spanish),What South Korea and Central America are negotiating (link in Spanish)
- Colombia–South Korean FTA with South Korea: What’s it all about?
- Colombia, Peru, Ecuador Ecuador’s adhesion to the agreement between the European Union (EU), Colombia, and Peru could be ratified in September 2016 (link in Spanish).
- MERCOSUR–EU: MERCOSUR ready to exchange commercial offers with the EU in April 2016 (link in Spanish)
Selected news on trade agreements currently in force
- ALADI: Global foreign trade: ALADI: January–December 2015, Global foreign trade: January–December 2015, each member country (link in Spanish)
- Central America–Mexico: Honduras and Mexico strengthen their ties through investment promotion, cooperation agreements, trade, tourism, and organized migration (link in Spanish)
- Chile–United States Chile receives the US Secretary of Agriculture (link in Spanish)
- Colombia–Mexico: Carlos Slim to sue Colombia for breach of FTA (link in Spanish)
- Andean Community (CAN): “Central Bioceanic Rail Corridor will strengthen trade integration in the Andean region” (link in Spanish)
- In the last ten years, exports of manufactured goods between CAN member countries have grown by 9.9% (link in Spanish)
- MERCOSUR: New stage: now 25 years old, the MERCOSUR is put to the test (link in Spanish),MERCOSUR to seek a high-level meeting with the Pacific Alliance (link in Spanish)
- MERCOSUR–Chile: MERCOSUR countries and Chile to use the ALADI digital certificate of origin in their commercial relations (link in Spanish)
- Mexico–Peru: Peru and Mexico implement the Strategic Partnership Agreement signed in 2014 (link in Spanish)
- Mexico–Northern Triangle: President of Honduras makes official visit to Mexico; topics of discussion include making the best use of their free trade agreement (link in Spanish)
- Peru–United States Peru agrees to lift trade barriers to US beef (link in Spanish)
- Central American Integration System (SICA): Honduras and Panama discuss SICA reform (link in Spanish)
- SICA Executive Committee meets to discuss issues on the regional agenda (link in Spanish)
- SELA: Regional meeting on economic relations between Latin America and the Caribbean and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Document
- COSIPLAN, IIRSA: The evolution of COSIPLAN projects (link in Spanish)
- UNASUR: UNASUR disgrees with US decision to renew sanctions against Venezuela (link in Spanish). Press release
The IJI is a compilation of regulatory texts, commentaries, and follow-up on legal commitments and developments of an analytical nature concerning the various integration processes taking place in Latin America and the Caribbean. For news and to learn more about the progress made on trade agreements and negotiations, visit IJI.
