At the recent MERCOSUR Summit, held this Thursday (03.07.2025) in Buenos Aires, the leaders of the member countries expressed general support for the guidelines proposed by Argentina during its Pro Tempore Presidency, with special emphasis on agreements and regional security. However, the differences were mainly evident in the area of trade liberalization, where some countries expressed more cautious positions towards the opening and flexibility processes.
President Javier Milei concluded his term in office before the regional bloc with a clear speech. He stated that “The regional bloc deviated from its original objective of economic integration and, on the contrary, ended up punishing citizens with more expensive and lower-quality goods, while generating an elephantine bureaucratic structure far removed from the concrete interests of the population.”
His proposal focused on a MERCOSUR “more open, more competitive and less bureaucratic”, with concrete measures such as "Expansion of exceptions to the Common External Tariff (CET) to facilitate access to goods at international prices" and the "review of the AEC, which he described as excessively high and harmful to consumers".
The Argentine president also highlighted the signing of the agreement with the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) and the expectation of speed up negotiations with the European Union, in addition to promoting negotiations with India, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, El Salvador, and Panama. In this regard, he stated:"We need to stop thinking of MERCOSUR as a shield that protects us from the world and start thinking of it as a spear that allows us to effectively penetrate global markets..
In terms of security,, Milei announced a concrete step towards the Creation of a MERCOSUR Agency against Transnational Organized Crime, highlighting the urgency of taking action against regional mafias:"Today I can announce that we have taken a major step, both at the recent meeting of our Ministers of Security, Interior, and Justice, and in the joint declaration of the MERCOSUR political forum, which recommended the creation of this much-needed agency.
🟦Brazil
This initiative was immediately supported by Brazil. President Luiz Inácio da Silva, who, upon presenting the Pro Tempore Presidency for the second half of 2025, stated:We will not defeat these truly multinational criminal organizations without coordinated action., and announced the strengthening of the tripartite command on the triple border and the Amazon Police Cooperation Center.
Brazil, however, adopted a more reserved and pragmatic stance regarding trade liberalization at the recent MERCOSUR summit. According to the Brazilian leader's speech, "His administration's priority will be to strengthen the bloc's internal integration rather than rushing into bilateral agreements with third countries.”. He exemplified this vision by underlining the need for “Overcoming internal borders, such as the inclusion of key sectors within the customs union—such as the automotive and sugar industries—to consolidate Mercosur's productive base and enhance its strategic competitiveness.”. He warned that “aPostponing this task means sacrificing the strategic potential of the bloc”. In addition, Brazil is betting on the construction of “a robust regional infrastructure and close cooperation that facilitate internal trade”, making it clear that “Deep integration of the bloc is a necessary condition to better take advantage of future international trade agreements.The Brazilian president confirmed his expectation of signing agreements with the European Union and EFTA before the end of the year, as well as advancing negotiations with Canada, the United Arab Emirates, Panama, the Dominican Republic, Colombia, and Ecuador.
🟦Uruguay
In line with the Argentine proposal for flexibility and openness, the President of the Eastern Republic of Uruguay, Yamandú Orsi, emphasized MERCOSUR as “key platform for international integration, based on dialogue, democracy, equity and sustainable development”. Its president valued “the consensus reached on the national lines of exception"and supported the signing of the MERCOSUR-European Union agreement, highlighting that this alliance has both an economic and geopolitical dimension. He also defended "greater openness to the world, particularly towards the Asia-Pacific region, without this implying distancing itself from the bloc.”
🟦Paraguay
For his part, the President of Paraguay, Santiago Peña, recognized the Argentine leadership and valued the democratic commitment that has sustained MERCOSUR for more than three decades, highlighting that: “We have been in dialogue for 34 years, with differences, but with democratic commitment and sustained integration.".
However, he raised the need to accelerate progress in physical and energy integration, with special emphasis on the Paraguay-Paraná Waterway, which he defined as "logistical backbone of the bloc”, connecting five countries and representing a strategic engine for regional development.
Peña was clear in expressing his dissatisfaction with the achievements so far:
"I'm not satisfied with what we've achieved so far. We have much further to go." he affirmed, while emphasizing the importance of reaching strategic agreements and calling for greater investment in defense and regional coordination to combat drug trafficking and insecurity.
🟦Bolivia
Finally, the President of the Plurinational State of Bolivia, Luis Alberto Arce Catacora, reaffirmed his commitment to productive integration and the cohesion of the bloc, highlighting the need to strengthen regional value chains and overcome internal asymmetries. He emphasized that "Unity in diversity will make us strong”, and proposed moving toward regional convergence between MERCOSUR and other blocs, such as the Andean Community.
With all States Parties present At the MERCOSUR Summit, there was general support for Argentina's priorities regarding agreements and security. However, trade liberalization was subject to nuances in the discourse, with Brazil adopting a more cautious stance. The fact is that the presence of the leaders, in a fragmented global context, reaffirms that the bloc remains a valuable instrument for integration, regional economic development, and improved international positioning.
◾The speeches of the Presidents of the Member States at the 66th MERCOSUR Summit are available on the regional bloc's official website. Here
Aduana News is the first Argentine customs newspaper to launch its digital version. With 20 years of experience, its publications and initiatives aim to provide the most relevant knowledge on customs issues in order to contribute to safe trade in the region.
