Mercosur and Canada accelerate negotiations on a free trade agreement.

At the conclusion of the 10th round of negotiations, Mercosur member countries and Canada further clarified many remaining differences, creating momentum for the bilateral free trade agreement negotiations.

The Mercosur member countries, including Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay, along with Canada, have concluded the 10th round of negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA).

The Paraguayan Foreign Ministry – which currently holds the rotating Mercosur presidency – said the talks, which took place from May 25-29, involved technical delegations and chief negotiators from both sides.

Within the framework of the working sessions, the task forces discussed many important areas such as trade in goods, rules of origin, intellectual property, trade in services, financial services, e-commerce, telecommunications, and facilitating the temporary movement of businesspeople.

The two sides also discussed trade linked to sustainable development, as well as legal and institutional issues related to the development of the agreement.

According to the Paraguayan Ministry of Foreign Affairs , after five days of work, the exchanges and coordination meetings helped both sides clarify outstanding issues and identify areas where consensus can be reached in the future.

The ongoing negotiations demonstrate Mercosur and Canada's determination to work towards a "balanced and mutually beneficial" agreement.

Mercosur was established in 1991 and comprises four main members: Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay. The bloc officially launched FTA negotiations with Canada on March 9, 2018, to expand bilateral trade and investment cooperation.

The negotiations with Canada are taking place against the backdrop of Mercosur's strong push to expand economic relations with partners outside the region.

Previously, on January 17th in Asunción, Mercosur and the European Union signed an FTA after more than 25 years of negotiations.

The agreement between Mercosur and the EU covers a market of approximately 720 million people and officially came into provisional effect on May 1st./.Diệu Hương

(VNA/Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/mercosur-va-canada-tang-toc-dam-phan-hiep-dinh-thuong-mai-tu-do-post1113496.vnp