Search results
Mercosur. The Southern Common Market, [a] commonly known by Spanish abbreviation Mercosur, and Portuguese Mercosul, is a South American trade bloc established by the Treaty of Asunción in 1991 and Protocol of Ouro Preto in 1994. Its full members are Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.
Bienvenidos al Mercado Común del Sur (MERCOSUR), proceso de integración regional instituido por Argentina, Brasil, Paraguay y Uruguay al cual en fases posteriores se han incorporado Venezuela* y Bolivia, ésta última en proceso de adhesión.
Mercosur. South American economic organization. Also known as: Common Market of the South, Mercado Común del Cono Sur, Mercado Común del Sur, Mercado Commún del Sur, Mercado Comum do Sul, Mercosul, Southern Common Market, Southern Market. Written and fact-checked by. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
- Introduction
- Which Countries Are in Mercosur?
- Why Was Mercosur created?
- How Does Mercosur Work?
- Has Mercosur Spurred Economic Development?
- Has Mercosur Promoted Democracy?
- Why Was Venezuela Suspended?
- What Other Challenges Is Mercosur facing?
- GeneratedCaptionsTabForHeroSec
Mercosur, or the Southern Common Market, is an economic and political bloc originally comprising Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay. Bolivia, previously an associate member, gained full membership in 2023. Initially created during a period when longtime rivals Argentina and Brazil were seeking to improve relations, the bloc saw some early suc...
Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay—Mercosur’s founding countries—are full members. Venezuela joined as a full member in 2012, but was suspended indefinitely in late 2016 for failing to comply with the bloc’s democratic principles. Bolivia, previously an associate member, became a permanent member after Brazil’s Congress approved the country’s...
Mercosur was created in 1991 when Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay signed the Treaty of Asunción [PDF], an accord calling for the “free movement of goods, services, and factors of production between countries.” The four countries agreed to eliminate customs duties, implement a common external tariff (CET) of 35 percent on certain imports fr...
The bloc’s highest decision-making body, the Common Market Council, provides a high-level forum for coordinating foreign and economic policy. The group consists of the foreign and economic ministers of each member state, or their equivalent, and decisions are made by consensus. The group’s presidency rotates every six months among its full members,...
Internal trade has grown rapidly, jumping from $4 billion in 1990 to more than $41 billion by 2010. It has since fluctuated, dropping to a low of $29 billion in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic before rising to $46 billion in 2022. In October 2021, Argentina and Brazil agreed to a 10 percent reduction in the bloc’s tariff to help bolster further eco...
One of Mercosur’s early aims was to cement the region’s return to democracy since all of its founding members had emerged from dictatorships in the 1980s. In 1998, the group signed the Ushuaia Protocol on Democratic Commitment[PDF], affirming that democratic institutions are essential to the integration of Mercosur states and that a “rupture in dem...
Venezuela joined the bloc in 2012, and Brazil argued that including the oil-rich country would make Mercosur a “global energy power.” But falling oil prices, economic mismanagement, and an increasingly authoritarian government have pushed Venezuela into an economic, political, and humanitarian crisis. As a result, nearly eight million Venezuelans h...
In recent years, Mercosur countries have experienced economic and political turmoil. Corruption probes launched in Brazil in 2014 have spread, implicating hundreds of the region’s political and business elites. At the same time, falling commodity prices and what critics describe as economic mismanagement have contributed to recessions in the region...
Mercosur is an economic and political bloc of four countries in Latin America, founded in 1991 to boost trade and development. Learn about its history, members, challenges, and stalled trade deal with the EU.
Conoce el MERCOSUR, el proceso de integración regional que agrupa a Argentina, Brasil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Venezuela y Bolivia. Accede a sus documentos, normativa, estadísticas, noticias y proyectos de infraestructura y cooperación.
Learn about the history, objectives, principles and achievements of MERCOSUR, the regional integration process of South America. Find out its members, partners, agreements, funds, emblem and more.
People also ask
What is Mercosur?
How does Mercosur work?
Where is Mercosur headquartered?
When was Mercosur established?
Aug 2, 2012 · Mercosur is a trade bloc of four South American countries that aims to form a common market like the EU. Learn about its history, members, goals, and current issues, such as the China deal and Venezuela's suspension.
