Jan 26, 2023 | London, England

Mercosur, the South American trade bloc and customs union, has faced multiple challenges since its founding in the early 1990s. Detractors have accused the bloc of being a cumbersome juggernaut, unable to reach consensus on a plethora of issues, owing to the diverging interests of political leaders from member states over the past three decades. Proponents argue that it aims to create a common space that generates business and investment opportunities through the competitive integration of national economies into the international market. Lofty ambitions aside, in recent years the block has arguably fallen short of its potential ambitions. However, with recent developments both inside and outside the region, could Mercosur be about to make a resurgence?

Join Canning House, the Paddy Ashdown Forum and GPS for this year’s Trade Alliances event, which will focus on the potential revival for the once much-maligned Mercosur trade bloc. Key questions and themes covered include:

• Is now Mercosur’s moment?
• What role can Mercosur states play in reducing the cost of living?
• How has the conflict in Russia/Ukraine impacting potential?
• What affect will the election results in Brazil have?
• Will bilateral agreements such as the potential Uruguay-China FTA undermine the potential of the block, or act as an accelerator?
• What progress is there on ratification of the EU-Mercosur FTA, and how likely is the UK to follow suit?
• Is Mercosur just about commodities?
• What potential is there for new members to join Mercosur?
• How likely is convergence with other blocks such as the Pacific Alliance?

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