Mercosur is a major trading partner of the EFTA countries and, with over 280 million inhabitants, an important target market with considerable growth potential for the Swiss export industry. In 2023 Switzerland exported goods worth more than CHF 3.6 billion to the Mercosur states, and imported goods worth CHF 648 million (excluding gold in each case).
EFTA and the Mercosur states concluded an agreement outlining key principles in August 2019. The EFTA/EU delegation welcomes the fact that a free trade agreement with India was recently signed, and now wishes to work politically to clarify the outstanding issues in the agreement between EFTA and the Mercosur states.
The hope is that the free trade agreement will abolish customs duties for around 95% of Swiss goods exports to the Mercosur markets in the medium term. In view of the high tariffs in some Mercosur countries, the free trade agreement could lead to considerable savings being made. The agreement will bring further benefits such as guaranteed access for Swiss service providers, new opportunities for public procurement and protection of intellectual property.
Furthermore, the section on trade and sustainable development has been a central issue in the negotiations to date, and sustainability will also be a focus of the talks during the parliamentary trip to Argentina and Brazil.
The talks in Buenos Aires, Brasilia and Rio de Janeiro will give EFTA parliamentarians the opportunity to obtain first-hand information on the positions of the Mercosur Alliance in these negotiations and to reaffirm at parliamentary level the EFTA states' interest in soon concluding a comprehensive agreement.
During the visit, meetings will also be held with high-ranking representatives of national parliaments, various ministries, civil society organisations, business associations and trade unions. Besides the free trade agreement, the economic situation of the two host countries, the conditions for Swiss companies and bilateral cooperation will also be discussed.
This year, Switzerland has the rotating chairmanship of the EFTA Parliamentary Committee. The latter regularly conducts visits to third countries with which EFTA is negotiating the conclusion or renewal of a free trade agreement.
Last year the then president of the National Council, Martin Candinas, visited Brazil and Uruguay. The economic relations between EFTA and Mercosur were a focal point of this trip.
The EFTA/EU delegation will be represented on this working visit by its chair, National Council member Thomas Aeschi (SVP, ZG), Council of States members Benedikt Würth (The Centre, SG) and Carlo Sommaruga (SP, GE), and National Council member Hans-Peter Portmann (FDP, ZH).