A technical working meeting between MERCOSUR and Canada was held at the Palacio San Martín of the Argentine Foreign Ministry, thus resuming talks on a potential trade agreement between the parties.
The meeting was chaired by the Undersecretariat for Economic Integration with the Americas and MERCOSUR of the Foreign Ministry, ambassador Daniel Raimondi, who stated: “The meeting was highly productive because it allowed us to update the information on our respective positions and to organize tasks to move towards negotiating a trade agreement. Both MERCOSUR and Canada reaffirmed their interest in reactivating this process.”
The parties exchanged information on their respective positions and experiences in economic and commercial negotiations, especially regarding trade in goods and services, treatment of non-tariff barriers (technical barriers to trade, sanitary and phytosanitary measures), investments, government purchases, work issues, and environment.
As a result of the meeting, it was agreed to promptly update the document drafted during the exploratory dialogue held in 2012 to reflect the changes as from that year. The parties will then work jointly to have, within the upcoming months, a framework for negotiating a trade agreement.
The meeting resulted from the commitment of Argentina, in its capacity as Presidency Pro Tempore of MERCOSUR, to resume the talks of the regional group with Canada, in the context of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s visit to Buenos Aires last November.
Press Release No. 127/17
Press Office: 4819-7375 / 8296 / 7388
@CancilleriaAR