Argentina is one of four South American members – with Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay – comprising the trade organisation, Mercosur, which was formed in 1991.

Last week, Mercosur officials met with officials from the European Union (EU-27) in Madrid, Spain to discuss forming the world's largest trade block. The first round of talks are set to take place in early July 2010 despite failed negotiations in 2004 over issues with agricultural access for Mercosur to the EU and manufactured and service access for the EU into Mercosur.

Presently, about 15 of the 27 EU member states are opposed to the negotiations and the formation of any possible trade union as it would likely mean a reduction in the EU's agricultural import tariffs and sizeable increases in imports of beef, pork, poultry, wheat, citrus, fruit and juice from Mercosur countries into the EU.

Trade deals with Peru and Colombia and an association agreement with Central America were also supposed to be announced at the summit. According to Senasa, Argentine broiler meat exports increased 70.65 per cent in the first three months of 2010 (43,755 metric tons) from a year ago (25,640 MT). Top export destinations of Argentine broiler meat were to Venezuela (13,329 MT), Chile (9,542 MT), South Africa (6,452 MT), UK (1,285 MT) and Saudi Arabia (1,175 MT). Most whole broiler exports are shipped to Venezuela, Chile, the Middle East and Africa, whereas most broiler cuts are shipped to Chile, Russia, and the EU.
Source: Various News Wires/Senasa/AliceWeb Mercosul/USDA FAS

Leading markets for Argentine poultry meat exports by volume (MT)

Mercosur Poultry Meat Exports to the EU (MT)

Total Mercosur poultry meat exports by country and volume (in thousand metric tons)
Note: All data is January-December except for 2010*, which only includes exports from January-February
^{Source: AliceWeb Mercosul}

Further Reading

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