Publications /
Policy Brief

Back
The experience of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay: Market integration within MERCOSUR and with other global partners Insights for AfCFTA countries?
Authors
March 11, 2022

The pros and the cons of regional market integration are well exemplified by the experience of Uruguay, a small, open economy in MERCOSUR, which is a highly protectionist trade bloc, dominated by Argentina and Brazil. With access to such large markets, Uruguay did raise its growth rate during the first decade of MERCOSUR, the 1990s. However, market integration as implemented in MERCOSUR was also problematic in that Uruguay suffered from the high protectionism of Argentina in the form of ad hoc trade barriers and Brazil’s retaliation against Argentina; the instability of Argentina’s boom and bust economic management; the co- movements in the appreciating exchange rates vis-à -vis the US $; the sudden devaluation of Brazil’s Real in Jan 1999 and Argentina’s financial collapse and fast devaluing peso in 2002. Uruguay’s ability to emerge from the 2002 crisis stronger than before is testimony to the strength of its social compact. Uruguay’s experience also shows that what is determining is the framework of domestic political economy and institutions, including the caliber of governance. Both Argentina and Uruguay have access to the same enlarged regional market, but each performed very differently. The key insight: how a country uses the opportunities offered is what matters; not just having access to an enlarged market.

RELATED CONTENT

  • Authors
    July 3, 2019
    Twenty years after negotiations began between Mercosur and the European Union (EU), a trade agreement between ministers was reached last Friday in Brussels. Its first phase, from 1999 to 2014, had among the motivations on the European side not to be left behind while the US then pursued a Free Trade Agreement for Latin America (FTAA). Symptomatically, such enthusiasm cooled after FTAA negotiations came to a halt and the United States embarked on bilateral agreements with some countr ...
  • Authors
    Sabine Cessou
    October 8, 2018
    « Amérique latine, crises et sorties de crises », telle était la première des deux thématiques des 6èmes Dialogues stratégiques, organisés le 4 avril par HEC Paris (Centre de géopolitique) et OCP Policy Center. Un tableau mitigé a été dressé, avec des signes de reprise et une croissance supérieure à 2 % qui n’empêchent pas des situations de crise comme au Brésil, au Nicaragua ou au Vénézuela. Crise d’un modèle d’oligarchies anti-capitalistes Au Vénézuela, la corruption paraît si e ...
  • Authors
    August 13, 2018
    The Brazilian economy pays a price in terms of productivity foregone because of its lack of trade openness. A trade opening process would bring an adjustment impact that could nonetheless be mitigated with public policies that facilitate labor mobility and job migration. Benefits from trade opening would also hinge on policy improvements in complementary areas, such as infrastructure investments, business environment and others. The Brazilian economy would benefit from opening trad ...
  • Authors
    June 6, 2018
    The spike in US bond yields since mid-April in tandem with the strengthening of the dollar sparked a retrenchment of capital flows to emerging markets (EM), accompanied by a sell-off of assets in some cases. Argentina and Turkey suffered from strong and potentially disruptive exchange rate depreciation pressures in May, with financial markets calming down only after bold domestic policy moves (interest rate hikes in both countries and, in the case of Argentina, a decision to seek a ...
  • Authors
    Sandra Polónia Rios
    Pedro da Motta Veiga
    Eduardo Augusto Guimarães
    February 22, 2017
    Despite the sustained growth in the bilateral trade observed at the beginning of the Century, Moroccan – Brazilian economic relations are still going through what could be called the ‘shallow’ phase of relations between two middle-income countries. Trade is concentrated in a few products – those where both countries enjoy long lasting and natural comparative advantages – and face strong difficulties to diversify in terms of products and to upgrade towards more complex models of lin ...
  • Authors
    Rafael Benke
    December 14, 2016
    The government of Argentina’s new president, Mauricio Macri, has many challenges ahead. In the initial 10 months of his government, he has devalued the currency, lifted significant trade and capital barriers, and launched conversations with international investors and creditors, and has changed international perceptions toward Argentina. Macri’s election immediately generated a positive reaction from the private sector toward the new government. However, indicators for 2016 show a w ...
  • Authors
    March 8, 2016
    Along with phosphorus and nitrogen, potash constitutes one of the three nutrients used in the production of fertilizers. Although the factors that influence its demand are mostly common to other fertilizers and in large part determined by the agricultural market conditions, its supply depends on specific factors. Long known to be controlled by two production and export cartels, the potash market experienced a major change in 2013 with the end of the RussianBelarusian agreement. In a ...
  • Authors
    December 14, 2015
    The end of supply chain is the natural corollary of the sustained price fall of virtually all commodities observed over the past many months. If it appears premature to state exactly what is the impact of this deconsolidation in the commodities value chain, it is believed that the strategic role of physical trading is strengthening. Under such circumstances, the industrial strategies of developing countries and commodity exporters may have to evolve and, in priority, foster optimizi ...
  • Authors
    February 10, 2015
    Manufacturing is declining as a share of GDP not only in advanced countries, but in developing countries as well. This new trend, a result of complex forces, should be seen on balance as a reason for development-optimism, not pessimism. In the 21st century economy, manufacturing remains important, but poor countries can attract investment, grow rapidly and diversify away from agriculture on the basis of many possible sources of comparative advantage, without artificially promoting m ...