To Spur Exports, RI Speeds Up Trade Negotiations with South American Countries
31 August 2020
Kapal Cargo Dilaut Lepas
Various ways have been taken by the government to open up the export market even more widely. One of them is a group of countries that are members of the South American General Market (Mercosur).
Mercosur is a combination of five Latin American countries, namely Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela. However, Venezuela's membership has been frozen since December 1, 2016 due to the crisis that occurred in the country.
The Indonesian Ambassador to Brazil, Edi Yusup, said that the government will continue to make the realization of the trade agreement with Mercosur fast. It also aims to increase the competitiveness of Indonesia's export performance there.
"If it is late, the free trade agreement (FTA) will no longer be attractive to Mercosur. I've tried to convince them, that's why there is a mission paper, ”said Edi in an online discussion in Jakarta, Friday (28/8).
Edy said Mercosur had started to show seriousness by providing a number of requirements such as a feasibility study and others. Strategically, the finalization of a trade agreement can provide many benefits, one of which is in terms of tax concessions.
He explained that Brazil's import tax is still burdensome for other countries, with an average of over 11%. Even 400 certain commodities are subject to import tariffs of up to 35%.
Full source and news:
