Trade, economic ties a focus in Argentina president’s visit to Brazil

Global Business

Brazilian President Michel Temer welcomed his Argentinean counterpart, Mauricio Macri, for a state visit on Tuesday.

CGTN’s Paulo Cabral reports.

It was the first visit of Mauricio Macri to Brazil since he took office 14 months ago.

Temer had visited Macri once in Buenos Aires — shortly after he assumed the presidency in the wake of Dilma Rousseff’s impeachment.

The meeting took place in Brasilia with the goal was discussing the relationship between the two countries.

The presidents of the two largest economies of the Mercosur bloc spoke of the need to strengthen regional ties and to be ready for opportunities that may result from Donald Trump’s protectionist agenda for the United States.

Brazil has said it wants more access to Argentina’s markets, particularly exporting more auto parts and sugar. Some Argentines say their economy has already opened too much, to the point of hurting their own job market.

Both governments agree on the need to reduce bureaucracy and non-commercial barriers in their trade.

“We have to reduce technical, sanitary and phytosanitary barriers to a minimum,” Temer said.

Macri and Temer are both considered pro-market presidents unlike their predecessors, Cristina Kirchner in Argentina and Dilma Rousseff in Brazil.