Argentina

Brazil

Paraguay

Uruguay

Europe

France

Economics

Politics

The European Union and the Mercosur trade bloc -- which includes Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay -- are reportedly close to finalizing negotiations for a free trade agreement long in the making, Politico reported on Nov. 13, citing sources close to negotiations. 

EU, Mercosur: The Two Blocs Eye Free Trade Deal in Early December

China

Leftist challenger Yamandu Orsi from the opposition Frente Amplio received the most votes in the first round of Uruguay's presidential election on Oct. 27 but fell short of a simple majority, meaning he will face Alvaro Delgado from the ruling Partido Nacional in a runoff race on Nov. 27, Reuters reported on Oct. 28.

Uruguay: Election Unlikely To Fuel Political Instability or Regulatory Volatility

France's new Prime Minister, Michel Barnier, reiterated Paris' opposition to a free trade deal between the European Union and the Mercosur bloc of Latin American countries, adding France will seek to form a 'blocking minority' in the EU Council, Euractiv reported Sept. 13.

France, EU, South America: Paris Reiterates Opposition to EU-Mercosur Free Trade Agreement

Mexico

United States

Mexico's Federal Commission on Economic Competition, or COFECE, outlined corrective measures targeting U.S.-based Amazon and Uruguay-based Mercado Libre to enable competition in online retail marketplaces, according to a preliminary opinion released in Mexico's official gazette on Feb. 13.

Mexico: Regulator Takes Aim at Amazon, Mercado Libre Over Barriers to Competition

Argentina's outgoing President Alberto Fernandez said he will not sign a free trade agreement between the South American group of Mercosur countries and the European Union at the Mercosur summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Dec. 7, La Nacion reported on Dec. 3.

EU, Americas: EU-Mercosur Trade Deal at Risk After Outgoing Argentine President's Rejection

The European Union and the Mercosur bloc of South America's largest economies are expected to reach a final agreement for a free trade deal during a meeting between European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on the sidelines of the U.N. Climate Change Conference, Bloomberg reported on Nov. 30.

EU, Americas: EU and Mercosur Countries Near Final Deal for Free Trade Agreement

China and Uruguay agreed to upgrade their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership following Uruguayan President Luis Lacalle Pou's state visit to China, Reuters reported on Nov. 22. 

Uruguay, China: Countries Upgrade Ties Amid Discussions of FTA, Broader Mercosur Deal

Barbados

Canada

Chile

Colombia

Costa Rica

Dominican Republic

Ecuador

Panama

Peru

Energy

Environment, Science & Technology

Science & Technology

Governments from the United States, Barbados, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Peru and Uruguay pledged to promote sustainable supply chains and boost trade across the region during the inaugural Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity Leaders' Summit, Reuters reported on Nov. 3.

Americas: Governments Pledge to Boost Trade, Promote Sustainable Supply Chains

Snapshots

People wave Uruguayan flags after the first results of the presidential and legislative elections were announced, at Plaza Varela Square in Montevideo on Oct. 27, 2024. 

The outcome will likely have the greatest impact on Uruguay's relations with the regional trade bloc Mercosur and China, as this is where the two candidates' policies diverge most.

Previewing Uruguay's Presidential Run-Off

Assessments

Israel

Palestinian Territories

Japan

United Kingdom

Georgia

Protesters hold Georgian flags during a pro-Europe rally in Tbilisi ahead of Georgia's parliamentary elections on Oct. 20, 2024. 

A look at what the coming week will bring -- and a list of recommended RANE articles from the week that was.

The Weekly Rundown: Key Elections in Georgia and Japan, Efforts to Resume Gaza Cease-Fire Talks

Bolivia

An illustrated map shows Mercosur countries.

Stalled trade deals and dwindling intra-bloc commerce will leave the South American trade bloc in a deadlock, likely resulting in only minor rule changes to prevent Mercosur's dissolution.

Mercosur's Latest Meeting Highlights Its Growing Stagnation

(From left to right) The presidents of Argentina, Paraguay, Brazil, Uruguay and Bolivia pose for photographs during the annual Mercosur leadership summit on Dec. 7, 2023, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The addition of Bolivia's small market will yield limited economic gains for the South American trade bloc, and may ultimately result in more internal disputes and challenges due to the country's political turbulence and poor environmental record.

For Mercosur, Bolivia's Accession May Bring More Headaches Than Benefits

Leaders of the summit between the European Union and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) walk for a press conference on July 18, 2023, in Brussels, Belgium. From left to right are European Council President Charles Michel, Argentine President Alberto Fernandez, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves, who is also the current president of CELAC.

A summit revives talks over an EU-Mercosur free trade agreement, but political constraints and protectionism stand in the way of a final deal.

The Obstacles Facing an EU-Mercosur Trade Deal

Media

Podcasts

RANE's Director of Analysis gives an update on the ongoing push to implement the two trade blocs' 2019 agreement.

Essential Geopolitics: Can the EU and Mercosur Resurrect Their Trade Deal? 

Discover the implications of Uruguay's push to unilaterally negotiate free trade agreements outside of Mercosur.

Essential Geopolitics: Uruguay, China and Mercosur's Future

South Africa

Russia

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Nov. 24, 2022, in London.

The Weekly Rundown: South Africa Debates Its President's Fate, an Israeli Government May Emerge

Guidance

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Bahrain

United Arab Emirates

Morocco

Pakistan

The Weekly Rundown: EU and Chinese Officials Talk Trade, Israel Hosts an Abraham Accords Summit

A man receives a dose of a COVID-19 vaccine at a drive-through distribution site in Bogota, Colombia, on April 11, 2021.

COVID-19

Unlike Chile and Uruguay, Brazil and Argentina will likely struggle to contain the fast-spreading variant as upcoming elections deter strict lockdown measures.

South America’s Response to the P1 COVID-19 Threat

The national flag of Argentina flies above Avenida 9 de Julio, one of the major arteries of Buenos Aires, on Nov. 28, 2018. 

South America: Split Decisions on Trade

While it has yet to fully abandon the South American trade bloc, Argentina's withdrawal from current negotiations will still cripple Mercosur's ability to ink future deals.

By Exiting Trade Talks, Argentina Risks Sealing Mercosur's Fate

EU: Regional Blocs

Divided EU Foreign Policies

Both blocs will require unanimous consent for ratification. But securing yes votes from all member states will be a tall order.

EU, Mercosur: Why a Trade Deal Struck After 20 Years of Talks May Never Take Force

Uruguay is a South American country on the Atlantic Ocean squeezed between Argentina to its west and Brazil to its north. It is the second smallest country in South America, after Suriname. More than 80 percent of Uruguay's population is of Spanish and Italian descent, making it one of the most homogenous countries in South America. It is also one of the region's most politically stable countries.    For a brief period in the 19th century, Uruguay was part of Brazil, and it claims about 140 square miles of Brazil's southern border city of Santana do Livramento. Though Brazil does not recognize the claim, Uruguay has avoided taking the dispute to the International Court of Justice, and relations between the two countries have remained peaceful. Meanwhile, disputes with Argentina over the environmental effects of Uruguay's economic activities on the Uruguay River, which separates the two countries, have strained relations.    Uruguay is a full member of the Common Market of the South and has veto power in trade negotiations involving the bloc. The country is a major exporter of soybeans and wheat as well as meat and dairy products. Additionally, Uruguay's river system is navigable; the Uruguay River and Rio de la Plata flow to the Atlantic Ocean, giving the country's products cheap transportation access to international markets.

SITUATION REPORTS

EU, Mercosur: The Two Blocs Eye Free Trade Deal in Early December

Uruguay: Election Unlikely To Fuel Political Instability or Regulatory Volatility

France, EU, South America: Paris Reiterates Opposition to EU-Mercosur Free Trade Agreement

Mexico: Regulator Takes Aim at Amazon, Mercado Libre Over Barriers to Competition

EU, Americas: EU-Mercosur Trade Deal at Risk After Outgoing Argentine President's Rejection

EU, Americas: EU and Mercosur Countries Near Final Deal for Free Trade Agreement

Uruguay, China: Countries Upgrade Ties Amid Discussions of FTA, Broader Mercosur Deal

Americas: Governments Pledge to Boost Trade, Promote Sustainable Supply Chains

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