Argentina participated in a regional trade agreement session with Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay, notifying updates on the application of their commercial regional agreement.
Argentina Updates Trade Rules with Mercosur Partners
New notifications change how commercial agreements with Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay are applied.
What changed
Regional agreement application updated for trade with Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay.
General application of trade rules changed to align procedures and ensure consistent enforcement.
Formal notifications issued signaling updated implementation frameworks for the four nations.
Who it affects
Traders in the region operating between Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay must follow the updated application frameworks.
Businesses in member states should prepare for aligned trade procedures and consistent enforcement.
Compliance Answer: Argentina’s Recent Tariff Modifications Under MERCOSUR’s Economic Complementation Agreement No. 18
Argentina, as part of MERCOSUR (with Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay), has notified the World Trade Organization (WTO) of two temporary tariff reductions under Economic Complementation Agreement No. 18 (AAP.CE 18). These modifications are implemented through Directives of the MERCOSUR Trade Commission and apply exclusively to specific tariff items for a 365-day period to address supply needs.
Regulation Analysis
The following table summarizes the key tariff modifications for Argentina under the notified changes:
| Regulation | Key Requirement | Deadline/Threshold | Authority |
|---|---|---|---|
| AAP.CE 18.190 Appendix 84 (incorporating MERCOSUR Trade Commission Directive No. 33/24) | Grants Argentina a tariff reduction to 2% for tariff item 1702.90.00 (unspecified sugars and sugar syrups) under a quota of 2,059 metric tons1. | 365 days from 26 May 20241. | MERCOSUR Trade Commission1. |
| AAP.CE 18.190 Appendix 90 (incorporating MERCOSUR Trade Commission Directive No. 65/24) | Grants Argentina a tariff reduction to 2% for tariff item 2106.90.90 (food preparations not elsewhere specified) under a quota of 100 metric tons2. | 365 days from 4 September 20242. | MERCOSUR Trade Commission2. |
Legal Framework and Notification Details
- Basis for Modifications:
- The changes are incorporated into AAP.CE 18 (the Economic Complementation Agreement between MERCOSUR members) via Appendices 84 and 90, which amend Articles 7 and 8 of the Treaty of Montevideo 1980 (TM80)1, 2.
- Both directives fall under the category of "Specific Actions in the Tariff Area for Supply Reasons" (Acciones Puntuales en el ámbito arancelario por razones de abastecimiento), a mechanism allowing temporary tariff adjustments to address market shortages1, 2.
- WTO Notification:
- The modifications were notified to the WTO under Paragraph 14 of the Transparency Mechanism for Regional Trade Agreements (WT/L/671) on 6 November 20251, 2.
- The notifications affect goods only (not services) and reference the original ACR document WT/COMTD/RTA15/N/1/Add.181, 2.
- Full texts of the appendices and directives are available on the Latin American Integration Association (ALADI) website1, 2.
- Applicability:
- The tariff reductions apply exclusively to Argentina within MERCOSUR, despite the agreement’s multilateral nature1, 2.
- The quotas (2,059 tons for item 1702.90.00 and 100 tons for item 2106.90.90) are absolute limits; exceeding them would revert to the standard MERCOSUR Common External Tariff (CET)1, 2.
Summary Answer
Argentina has secured temporary tariff reductions under MERCOSUR’s Economic Complementation Agreement No. 18 (AAP.CE 18) for two tariff items:
- 1702.90.00 (sugars/syrups): 2% tariff (down from the standard CET) for 2,059 tons, effective 26 May 2024 for 365 days1.
- 2106.90.90 (food preparations): 2% tariff for 100 tons, effective 4 September 2024 for 365 days2.
These changes were notified to the WTO on 6 November 2025 under the Transparency Mechanism for Regional Trade Agreements1, 2. The full legal texts are accessible via ALADI’s official links1, 2. No additional regulatory steps or domestic approvals are specified in the sources for Argentina’s implementation.
Sources
- ↩ Comité de Comercio y Desarrollo en Sesión Específica (Acuerdos Comerciales Regionales) – Notificación de los cambios que afectan la aplicación de un acuerdo comercial regional – Argentina, Brasil, Paraguay y Uruguay – Suplemento — SS / directdoc https://docs.wto.org/dol2fe/Pages/SS/directdoc.aspx?filename=S:/WT/COMTD/RTA15N1A18S216.pdf&Open=True
- ↩ Comité de Comercio y Desarrollo en Sesión Específica (Acuerdos Comerciales Regionales) – Notificación de los cambios que afectan la aplicación de un acuerdo comercial regional – Argentina, Brasil, Paraguay y Uruguay – Suplemento — SS / directdoc https://docs.wto.org/dol2fe/Pages/SS/directdoc.aspx?filename=S:/WT/COMTD/RTA15N1A18S222.pdf&Open=True