Feb 4-5 2010 Foreign, Economic and Industry Ministers meet in Buenos Aires

Feb 4-5 2010 - Foreign, Economic and Industry Ministers meet in Buenos Aires

Feb 4 2010 – The countries agreed to establish a mechanism for information exchange in cases investigating the dumping of goods. Argentina also agreed to revise its list of goods that are subject to non-automatic licenses for imports though both sides maintained different opinions on how to handle bilateral trade. The measure only applies to local producers that have already weathered and survived the effects of the financial crisis. Brazilian and Argentine authorities decided two sectors were to be merged: the strategic ones, including oil and gas industries, the car industry and agriculture machinery; and the intangible ones, featuring the wooden and furniture industries, and the wine and dairy industries, among others.

March 15 2010 – Brazil said that it wants Argentina to permanently remove the non-automatic licensing requirements on 400 Brazilian products for import. The time-frame for these licenses are within the permitted time period of 60 days.

March 25-26 2010 - Industry Ministers meet in Brasilia

April 23, 2010 – In note 232, Secretary Moreno said that the country will no longer be importing food products that have a domestic equivalent already being produced. The measure will start June 1 and will affect food products like noodles, sauces, beer, candy, peaches, hams and oils.

Week May 4 2010 – Secretary Moreno ordered the National Institute of Food Products to start sending certificates of sanitation to him instead of directly to importers. This entity is under that Health Ministry, which directed it to comply with Moreno.

May 11 2010 – Executive Secretary of Brazil’s Devo, Industry and Frgn Trade Ministry, Ivan Ramalho, spoke out against Argentine trade barriers to Brazilian food products.

May 14 2010 – Brazil’s Minister of Industry and Development said that Brazil would adopt reciprocal measures against Argentina if the latter goes through with plans to stop importing food items with a domestics equivalent, starting June 1.

May 18 2010 – Argentina permits Brazilian import trucks transporting food precuts in to the country. Some products included canned corn, chicken, canned tomatoes, pork and elaborated meat.

May 24 2010 – List of products with import barriers now tops 500. Some items include: tires, circuit breakers, plugs, air conditioning, clothing, floating floors, hinges, wheels, fans and stainless steel flatware. The measures affect trade with Argentina’s biggset partners: EU, China, Brazil. Trade barriers are also starting to cause problem for local Argentine technology industry that needs to import materials for production - rods, equipment checks and towers for pumping oil wells, sheets of iron or steel, automotive ignition systems, electric heaters, zippers, lighters, kitchen, fibers polyester staple fibers, polypropylene yarn, organic dyestuffs and coolant pumps.

May 27 2010 - Brazil's administration has threatened to implement retaliation measures if its foodstuffs are banned from entering into Argentina, according to statements made by the Foreign Trade head Welber Barral/ Brazil's stance is based on reciprocity and the country is willing to “act in retaliation for this situation” if Argentina in fact bans its foodstuffs from entering into the country. Reportedly 70% of Brazilian embarkations shipping food stuffs to Argentina were cancelled in May due to fear of Moreno’s upcoming June 1 measures.

May 27 2010 – Lula and Cristina met on the sidelines of a UN Civilizations Alliance Forum hosted in Rio. Bilateral trade was expected to be on the agenda.

June 2 2010 – Argentina’s Chamber of Importers sent an official note to Moreno asking him to re-evaluate the types of restrictions placed on imported food stuffs.

Week Jun 6, 2010 – Economic and Industry Ministers from Argentina and Brazil meet in Buenos Aires to negotiate the bilateral trade balance. Argentina was particularly interested in evening out the industrial development of the country with that of Brazil. The meeting is a byproduct of Lula-Cristina’s May 27 meeting. - http://www.ambito.com/noticia.asp?id=526199

June 17, 2010 - Argentina is accelerating permits for food imports from Brazil after companies said they would conduct trade in local currencies instead of U.S. dollars, said Diego Perez Santisteban, head of the Chamber of Importers.

June 21, 2010 – Importers have already registered complaints over lack of transparency and shipments being held in Customs. Some items appear arbitrarily let through while others are left to spoil.

June 24, 2010 - Economic and Industry Ministers from Argentina and Brazil meet in Brazil to discuss the barriers to imports of Brazilian food stuffs. The countries also agreed to increase the frequency of meetings of the commission responsible for monitoring bilateral trade.

July 26, 2010 - The Brazilian government opened an investigation in the alleged dumping of a material used to make the foam in mattresses by the US and Argentina in the Brazilian market. The Sect of Frgn Commerce will be studying the period of Oct 04 to Sept 09 to determine what, if any, damages were caused by the dumping of this product.

July 28, 2010 – Argentine Secretary Moreno started implementing a practice in which those importers who want to receive non-automatic licenses must show that they export at least the same amount in terms of dollars. This has affected the tire industry and also the automobile industry, which worries it will lack production parts. Moreno also limited the import of bulk wine, which was well received by Mendoza.

Aug. 9, 2010 - Secretaries of Commerce from Brazil, Argentina met in Brasilia to discuss ways to equalize bilateral trade, in particular the automotive industry and production integration.

Aug. 10, 2010 – Argentine government starts applying non-automatic licenses to agriculture machinery, 65% of which is imported from Brazil. Brazilian business reported imports taking longer than the allowed 60 days (120-200).

Aug 27, 2010 – The Brazilian Government discards calls by FIESP to implement new import barriers; Govt said that companies should go to the Justice Min if they are worried about competition.

Sept. 9, 2010 – Brazil and Argentina’s Industry ministers met in Brasilia. They agreed to cooperate on accelerating the productive integration of automobile parts within the Mercosur.

Dec. 1, 2010 – Trade/Industry Secretaries and MInistrs from Brazil and Argentina met in Brasilia. During the meeting Argentina wanted to address access to Brazilian market for a range of products: a uto parts, food, medicines, appliances, textiles and garments, chemicals, veterinary products and cosmetics. This meeting coincided with a meeting of the joint Automotive Committee between the two countries.

Dec. 9, 2010 – Reports start circulating that the Argentine Government will reinstate import barriers on food products with a domestic equivalent. Producers of chocolates, tomatoes, crackers and olive oil (among others) reported problems with sales.

Jan.17, 2011 – In a verbal order Secretary Moreno re-imposed import barriers on food products that have Argentine equivalent. Importers complained saying the only thing the measures did was encourage shortages.

Jan. 31, 2011 – President Fernandez received President Rousseff.

Feb. 1, 2011 – Brazil’s Minister of Development, Industry and Trade was present for part of the day-long meeting between Rousseff and Fernandez. He said that one objective of the new Brazilian Government is to increase the participation of Argentine goods in the Brazilian market and that the country would open up its market to help balance out trade.

Feb. 11, 2011 - Argentina's Economic Minister Amado Boudou met with his Brazilian counterpart Guido Mantega in Brasilia.  The ministers discussed the monitoring of bilateral trade, promoting joint exports to third countries, conducting intra-Mercosur trade in local currencies and the implementation of the Argentine-Brazilian Business Forum.

Feb. 16, 2011 – Argentine Industry Minister defended the inclusion of 200 more products in the application of non-automatic licenses. The measure now includes: metal products, consumer electronics, yarn and fabrics, high-end automobiles, dies and molds, glass, bicycles and bicycle parts. In general, local industry supports the measure. However some industry members expressed concern about supply chain interruption since some of the included products are assets in chemical industry, plastics or car that are required to continue producing their goods.

Feb. 17, 2011 - Brazilian industry, development officials in BsAs to discuss new trade barriers that come from non-automatic licenses. Argentina did point out that polypropylene and auto parts from Brazil directly competed (threatened) with domestic production. During the meeting officials also agreed to create a joint Monitoring Committee to exclude Brazilian products of non-automatic licensing application with the aim to deepen trade ties and advance the search for greater balance in the trade balance

March 1, 2011 - Brazil industry voices complaints over Argentine import barriers on farm machinery

March 14, 2011– Argentina’s technology sector are postponing launch date of new products this year due concerns over import barriers. At the moment they do not foresee any cancellations.

March 18, 2011 – Upon Argentine Secretary Moreno’s request, the National Institute of Food (INAL) started delaying by 15-20 days the entry of Brazilian trucks transporting food items. Some truckers previously cancelled their shipments to avoid the problem. The measure targets items in high demand for holy week – chocolate, eggs, dessert breads, etc.

March 30, 2011 - Argentine farmers are worried over large pork imports from Brazil and asked the Govt for urgent measures to be taken.

April 4, 2011 - FAA's Buzzi speaks out against importing Brazilian pigs, threatens to blockade highways to prevent imports. 16 days later the Argentina’s Agriculture Min decreased the amount of pork imported from Brazil.

May 6, 2011 - Brazil reportedly studying reciprocity measures against Argentina's import barriers; measures include more difficult entry measures, suspended investment negotiations and WTO

May 11, 2011 - Brazil's Industry Min called upon Argentina to remove restrictions on Brazilian products trying to enter Argentina

May 12, 2011 - If Argentina does take moves to eliminate import barriers by May 15, Brazil will discuss May 17 retaliation measures during at a meeting of economic ministers of seven members of the Chamber of Export. Later this day Brazil raised bar for imports of cars and motor industry parts.

May 15, 2011 – President Rousseff said that the new import restrictions were not meant to attack Argentina but did recognize there existed problems for Brazilian exports in the neighboring country.

May 15, 2011 – The Argentine Govt asked Brazil for a truce so that both sides could discuss trade barriers and equilibrium for manufacturers.

List of areas in which both countries cooperated as makeshift solution to some trade issues

debt swap between countries, oil/energy sector agreements

Work together on intl trade (agro up), energy, production integration

http://www.infobae.com/economia/524839-100895-0-Argentina-y-Brasil-avanzan-busca-politica-comun-exportaciones-agricolas

http://www.telam.com.ar/vernota.php?tipo=N&idPub=197135&id=374406&dis=1&sec=1

http://www.ultimahora.com/notas/356918-Brasil-y-Argentina-quieren-integrar-las-cadenas-productivas-del-Mercosur

Agriculture Mins from Brazil and Argentina signed and agreement yesterday calling for both countries to coordinate regional actions to improve joint access to foreign markets and guarantee food security.  The main priorities of the agreement include: production integration, joint elaboration of strategies in intl forums, economic stability in the sector, value added, technology transfer, strategy analysis of future scenarios and mechanisms geared towards working with new markets.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/epa/article/ALeqM5gQ154YtsBft00EW5oxRl-KW-a0yw?docId=1388909

Countries to create special commission to study, promote joint trade to third party countries. http://www.estadao.com.br/noticias/nacional,brasil-e-argentina-vao-criar-comissao-para-comercio,664457,0.htm

Argentina worried over Brazil's increasing barriers to capital inflows

http://www.cronista.com/notas/249724-preocupan-la-argentina-las-crecientes-trabas-brasil-al-ingreso-capitales

Brazil, Argentina to create $200 mln common fund http://www.infobae.com/politica/552377-101275-0-Crearan-un-fondo-comun-la-Argentina-y-Brasil

Energy sector imports one area that Sect. Moreno can not afford to touch or create barriers