CANADA & MERCOSUR

Canadá y el Mercosur – para no perder de vista /Canada & Mercosur – to keep track of this initiative

Ante la apertura de la consulta pública sobre las negociaciones para un Acuerdo de Libre Comercio entre el Mercosur y el Canadá, lanzada por el gobierno brasileño el 25 de septiembre, parece prudente tener en cuenta este escenario futuro sobre un posible acuerdo que se viene gestando sin prisa desde tiempo atrás. En un Mercosur alejado de los grandes acuerdos que se tejen en el área del Pacífico, no está de más seguir estos contactos.

In view of public consultations opened by the Brazilian Government on September 25^th., with regard to the negotiations for a FTA between Mercosur and Canada, it seems reasonable to keep an eye on this process, one that has been developing without haste for some time now.  Considering Mercosur is not participating in the significant agreements being negotiated within the Pacific area, keeping track of these contacts seems a sensible thing to do.

Les traemos aquí, sin agregar nada, el comunicado canadiense de marzo de este año y la reciente publicación oficial brasileña.

Without further comments, we bring you here both the Canadian press report of March 2012 and the recent official publication by the Brazilian Government.

Mauricio López Dardaine

    Canadian source / Fuente canadiense: Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada; International.gc.ca, March 2012;

    Fuente brasileña en el Mercosur / Brazilian source within Mercosur: Diario Oficial da União, CIRCULAR Nº 45, DE 25 DE SETEMBRO DE 2012, gentileza de la Cámara de Exportadores de la República Argentina.

Deepening Canada’s Trade Ties with Mercosur Part

of Harper Government’s Broad and Ambitious Pro-

Trade Plan

Minister Fast promotes Canada’s trade advantages on visit to Argentina

March 20, 2012 

“The Honourable Ed Fast, Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway, today concluded a two-day trade visit to Argentina, where he met with political and business leaders to advocate more trade and job-creating partnerships between Canada and Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay—the countries that make up the Mercosur

customs union[1].

‘Our government is committed to creating jobs and prosperity for Canadian workers and their families,’ said Minister Fast. ‘My visit to Argentina was an opportunity to promote the mutual benefits of expanded trade and investment ties between us.’

During his visit to Buenos Aires, Minister Fast met with Argentina’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Héctor Timerman to discuss Canada’s interest in concluding exploratory discussions toward deepened trade and investment with Mercosur, the Southern Common Market.

‘Deepening and broadening Canada’s economic relationship with high-growth markets like Mercosur is a key part of our pro-trade plan for jobs, economic growth and long-term prosperity,’ said Minister Fast.

Mercosur is a market of nearly 250 million consumers and has a combined GDP of almost $3 trillion. It also accounts for almost three quarters of total economic activity in South America. In 2011, bilateral merchandise trade between Canada and Mercosur reached more than $9.7 billion, which represents a 213-percent increase over the last decade. ‘Canada-Mercosur exploratory trade talks are seeking to identify areas of mutual interest toward the potential negotiations of an agreement that would be mutually beneficial,’ said Minister Fast. Discussions to date have been productive. Two exploratory meetings between Canadian and Mercosur officials have already been held, with a third meeting expected to take place in Ottawa in

May. While in Argentina, Minister Fast also met with Julio de Vido, Minister of Federal Planning, Public Investment and Services, and Daniel Cameron, Secretary of Energy, to discuss Canada’s continued support of Canadian companies wishing to invest in Argentina. He met with members of the Canadian business community representing a variety of sectors, including energy, information and communications technologies, construction, industrial equipment, mining operations and pharmaceuticals. Minister Fast then met with Gerardo Werthein, Chief Executive Officer of Holding Caja de Ahorro y Seguro and Vice Chair Telecom Argentina, who leads one of the most influential and diversified family-owned groups of companies in Argentina. ‘Canadian companies operate in a socially responsible manner and contribute to job creation and prosperity around the world,’ said Minister Fast. Currently, companies listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange operate more than 200 mineral projects in Argentina. At the end of 2010, the stock of Canadian direct investment in Argentina stood at $2.5 billion, an increase of 25.8 percent compared to 2009.”

Diario Oficial da União

CIRCULAR Nº 45, DE 25 DE SETEMBRO DE 2012

Abre consulta pública sobre as negociações

para um Acordo de Livre Comércio entre o

Mercosul e o Canadá.

A SECRETÁRIA DE COMÉRCIO EXTERIOR, DO MINISTÉRIO

DO DESENVOLVIMENTO, INDÚSTRIA E COMÉRCIO

EXTERIOR, com base no disposto no art. 17 do Anexo I do

Decreto nº 7.096, de 4 de fevereiro de 2010, e na Portaria MDIC nº

6, de 11 de janeiro de 2008, e

CONSIDERANDO que o Mercado Comum do Sul (Mercosul)

e o Canadá iniciaram discussões exploratórias para avaliar a

possibilidade de lançamento de negociações de um acordo de livre

comércio, resolve:

Art. 1º Fica aberto, a contar da data de publicação desta

Circular, o prazo de 60 (sessenta) dias para que seja apresentado

posicionamento sobre potenciais interesses ofensivos e defensivos nas

áreas de bens, serviços e investimentos em relação à abertura de

negociações para um Acordo de Livre Comércio entre o Mercosul e

o Canadá.

Art. 2º As manifestações de interesse poderão ser formuladas

exclusivamente por associações ou entidades de classe e deverão ser

encaminhadas por meio digital ao endereço MERCOSUL.Canada@

mdic. gov. br.

Art. 3º As manifestações deverão contemplar todos os itens

abaixo:

I - Dados da associação ou entidade de classe:

a) nome;

b) endereço;

c) telefone;

d) pessoa responsável para contato; e

c) endereço eletrônico.

II - Caracterização da manifestação:

a) a manifestação deverá indicar interesses ofensivos e defensivos

da associação ou entidade de classe sobre as negociações

entre o Mercosul e o Canadá, destacando a área (bens, serviços ou

investimentos) a que se refere;

b) em relação à área de bens, a manifestação deverá destacar

os produtos de maior interesse ofensivo ou eventuais interesses defensivos,

indicando para ambos os casos a classificação dos produtos

na Nomenclatura Comum do Mercosul (NCM) e apresentando justificativas

que embasem o posicionamento; e

c) em relação às áreas de serviços e investimentos, a manifestação

deverá destacar os setores de maior interesse ofensivo ou

eventuais interesses defensivos, indicando para ambos os casos a

classificação do serviço na Classificação Central de Produtos (CPC) e

apresentando justificativas que embasem o posicionamento.

Art. 4º As contribuições não enviadas na forma estabelecida

nesta circular ou recebidas fora do prazo fixado no art. 1º não serão

consideradas para avaliação da Secretaria de Comércio Exterior.

Art. 5º Todas as informações fornecidas são de caráter sigiloso

e serão analisadas para a definição da posição brasileira.

Art. 6º Esta circular entra em vigor na data de sua publicação.

Tatiana Lacerda Prazeres

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[1] Calling Mercosur a “customs union” is certainly an exaggeration. Although Mercosur has an external common tariff and an internal zero tariff zone, joint bodies and common legislation, it is still a far cry from a true customs union. Comment by MLD.

It might be good to remember that in 2005, these talks between Canada and Mercosur took place with the background of the FTAA negotiations having floundered, especially after the last coordinated effort made by most at the November 2003 meeting held in Miami. At the time (2005), Canada insisted that what were agreed during those initial talks (with Mercosur) ought to be incorporated into the FTAA, once the continental rounds were resumed in earnest. / Quizás no esté de más recordar que allá por 2005, estas conversaciones entre el Canadá y el Mercosur, se daban con el telón de fondo del ya evidente fracaso del ALCA, luego del esfuerzo concertado que se había hecho en Miami, durante la ronda de noviembre de 2003. Canadá insistía entonces (2005) en que cualquier resultado positivo que surgiera de estos contactos fuese volcado al ámbito del ALCA una vez que el proceso continental retomase su curso. MLD