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Euros. 12 Uruguay had a surplus of 0.3 billion Euros, exporting 0.4 billion Euros and<br />

importing 0.1 billion Euros 13 , and Brazil attained a surplus of 7.4 billion Euros, with<br />

exports of 7.9 billion Euros and imports of 0.5 billion Euros. 14<br />

Above all, it is the so-called “agro-industry” in the four MERCOSUR countries<br />

that hope for better export opportunities as a consequence of a EU-MERCOSUR<br />

free trade agreement containing tariff-cuts and the reduction of European agricultural<br />

subsidies. However, given the current international trade regimes it is not clear that<br />

such results will automatically occur:<br />

“While these treaties force developing countries to extensively open their markets<br />

for EU-products there are still high European tariff-barriers for agricultural<br />

goods which are also being produced in the EU. The FTAs with South Africa,<br />

Mexico and Chile furthermore include security clauses for the case that a rapid<br />

rise of trade flows threatens the overall economic situation of a partner – in<br />

reality this leaves a way out for the EU to close their markets temporarily if a<br />

southern partner achieves a successful increase of exports.” 15<br />

Nevertheless, the four governments of the MERCOSUR agree that in the agricultural<br />

sector, for them the “central and essential” issue, success can be achieved.<br />

This, however, would require as a prerequisite “substantial concessions” from the<br />

EU negotiation team led by Karl Falkenberg. 16 Nonetheless, it should be mentioned<br />

that despite the priority that this interest is given, for example, by the strong Brazilian<br />

agricultural export lobby, one cannot assume a unified position of each particular<br />

government. Despite the expressed importance of the agricultural sector to the Brazilian<br />

government, even there, there are those with the opinion that the importance<br />

of the other issues of the marathon negotiations should not be neglected. Because<br />

of this there was a considerable amount of disagreement within the Brazilian government<br />

during the preparations of the FTAA-negotiation round from November 20-21,<br />

2003.<br />

The responsible authority on the Brazilian side for all internal MERCOSUR- as<br />

well as FTAA- and EU-MERCOSUR-negotiations is the Brazilian Foreign Ministry, It-<br />

12<br />

“Argentina”, DG Trade A2/CG/SG/WB, Brussels, June 2003.<br />

13<br />

“Uruguay”, DG Trade A2/CG/SG/WB, Brussels, June 2003.<br />

14<br />

“Brazil”, DG Trade A2/CG/SG/WB, Brussels, June 2003.<br />

15<br />

Own translation of the following original text: “Während die Abkommen die Entwicklungsländer zwingen, ihre Märkte<br />

weitgehend für EU-Produkte zu öffnen, bestehen gerade für viele der in der EU produzierten landwirtschaftlichen<br />

Erzeugnisse weiterhin hohe Zollschranken für Einfuhren aus dem Süden. Die Freihandelsabkommen mit Südafrika,<br />

Mexiko und Chile sehen darüber hinaus eine Sicherheitsklausel für den Fall vor, daß ein sprunghaftes Ansteigen der<br />

Handelsflüsse einen Sektor oder die gesamtökonomische Situation eines Partners bedroht - de facto eine Hintertür<br />

der EU, um ihre Märkte für den Fall einer erfolgreichen Exportsteigerung eines südlichen Partners vorübergehend<br />

zu schließen.” Taken from Schilder, Klaus (WEED): Regionalisierung unter neoliberalem Vorzeichen? Die politökonomische<br />

Geographie der EU-Handelspolitik, June 10, 2003, http://www.weed-online.org/artikel/18513.html.<br />

16<br />

The Brazilian Secretary of Agriculture repeatedly defines the agricultural sector as a priority: “primazia da questão<br />

agrícola”, see, e.g.; http://www.bbc.co.uk/portuguese/economia/story/2003/11/031112_amorimcmmla.shtml.<br />

15

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