During his official visit to Brazil, the President of Chile, Gabriel Boric, reaffirmed this Tuesday (22.04.2025/XNUMX/XNUMX) in Brasilia his commitment to the bilateral agenda with the neighboring country and stressed as a priority the conclusion of the Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) of the programs
of the OAS between the countries of MERCOSUR and the Pacific Alliance.
"I would like to echo the words of Mario Cezar—vice president of the National Confederation of Industry (CNI) of Brazil—on the three axes proposed, and I ask my teams to prioritize them. In particular, to move toward the conclusion of the customs mutual recognition treaty between MERCOSUR and the Pacific Alliance. This is an objective we must consolidate, advance, and achieve.", said Boric during his participation in the Brazil-Chile Business Forum.
Although his government has less than a year left in office, the Chilean president assured that they will do "everything possible so that during this year 2025, this treaty is finalized, at least on our partHe also expressed his gratitude to the Chilean Congress for its support in moving forward with legislative ratifications and pledged to review the proposal for a new origin regime.
Boric also highlighted the joint work between ProChile and ApexBrasil, as well as the coordination between the Ministries of Economy of both countries.They have facilitated our exchanges, reduced bureaucracy, and fostered productive linkages. Today I am pleased to note that our trade relationship is enjoying an excellent moment: Brazil is our third-largest trading partner, behind only China and the United States.he said.
During the meeting, both delegations agreed on the need to consolidate a joint innovation plan between Brazil's National Institute of Statistics and Geography (CNI) and Genera Sofofa, in coordination with the Mercosur Assembly. The plan will include exclusive representatives to implement actions aimed at improving business productivity and competitiveness.
On the Brazilian side, Mario Cezar de Aguiar, vice president of the CNI, highlighted the sustained growth of bilateral trade and the commitment of both countries to strengthen the business environment.In the last decade, bilateral trade grew by 57,5%, services exchange increased by 152,2%, and investment flows increased by 90,8%. We expect these results to multiply in the coming years."I affirm.
De Aguiar also praised the Free Trade Agreement between Brazil and Chile, which has been in force since 2022, as a key milestone for regional economic integration. Within this framework, he proposed three strategic lines to deepen cooperation:
- Adoption of a new regime of origin, with clear rules on the origin of products that promote regional competitiveness.
- Completion of the Regional Agreement on Mutual Recognition of Authorized Economic Operators (AEO) between MERCOSUR and the Pacific Alliance.
- Promoting international regulatory cooperation, replicating the positive experience of the cosmetics sector in other industrial sectors.
Chile is part of the Pacific Alliance along with Colombia, Mexico, and Peru, while Brazil is a founding member of MERCOSUR, along with Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay. Both blocs are advancing a Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) for their Authorized Economic Operators (AEO) programs.
This inter-block initiative was signed in July 2019 in Lima, Peru, when the Customs of the eight countries signed an Action Plan to implement the MRA, the second phase of which was completed in 2022. While progress has been made, the compatibility between the programs, the scope of the agreement, and the concrete benefits for operators remain to be assessed.
The Brazil-Chile Business Forum was led by Presidents Boric and Lula, and jointly organized by the governments of both countries, with the support of the Chilean Industrial Development Society (SOFOFA) and the Brazilian National Confederation of Industry.
- The full speeches by President Gabriel Boric and the other participants in the Brazil-Chile Business Forum can be viewed on the official YouTube channel of the Government of Chile.
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