Uruguay will present the letter of formal adhesion to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) in 2022. “Before the end of the year we are going to present the application for adhesion to the CTPP (Trans-Pacific Agreement),” announced the President Luis Lacalle Pou this Friday during his interview with the journalist Ismael Cala at the America Business Forum in Punta del Este.
Lacalle Pou recalled that Uruguay maintains its “course of opening up to the world” and is going to make free trade agreements (FTAs) with the countries that are willing to negotiate. In this sense, she mentioned the FTA that is being negotiated with China or Turkey. The president said that the country wants to play on the “big field” and that is why he is “obsessed” with the opening.
The entrance to the Transpacific
The Presidency of the CPTPP is rotating and in 2022 it is in the hands of Singaporealthough the depositary country (place where the agreement was signed) is New Zealandso it is recommended that the formal conversations begin with the latter.
The entry request has the productive sector enthusiastic and some representatives even consider that it may have a more relevant impact than the agreement that will begin to be negotiated with China. Aboat to 500 million consumers and represents the 13.5% of GDP world.
Two preliminary studies –one from the Foreign Ministry and another from the Ministry of Economy– that were declared reserved threw that join the CPTPP or TPP-11 (the two acronyms with which the agreement is identified) could have “very positive” impacts for Uruguay. Now him Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and three universities (Udelar, UM and UCU) they are preparing deeper ones.
During the first months of 2022, the Chancellery instructed the ambassadors to Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam –the 11 countries that make up the agreement– to initiate informal conversations to explore the disposition and concerns of those States in the face of a possible entry, as he learned The Observer from government and diplomatic sources.
In the Executive power understand that Mercosur authorization is not necessary because there is no rule that disqualifies to negotiate with third parties. This interpretation is rejected by Argentina and Paraguaywho believe that Mercosur should negotiate together because otherwise would violate the founding treaties.
Currently the CPTPP analyzes the incorporation of the United Kingdoma negotiation that began in June 2021 and may end this year
