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Opening and Fighting Protectionism, the Pacific Alliance presupposes ideals and economic power since its inception in 2011, but the numbers show a much less inspiring reality.
The "antithesis" against protectionism Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, who participated from the beginning in this project between Mexico, Chile, Colombia and Peru, declared at the XIIIth Summit of Pacific Alliance July 23-24 in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
All of these nations are regional powers and together they make up the eighth world power and accumulate 50% of the total trade of Latin America.
But a paradox is realized, and that is that Donald Trump's United States – independent of protectionism in the world – remains a major trading partner.
"The Pacific Alliance has overestimated what is the trading block.They treat it as a panacea, but from my point of view, with hard statistical data, this is not the case. is not like that " Dr. Aribel Contreras, coordinator of the Bachelor of International Business Administration of the Universidad Iberoamericana, told Efe today
In the case of Mexico, we see that the country has allocated 80% of its exports in 2016 and imported 47% of US products
This relationship can be understood by its geographical proximity and by the influential North American Free Trade Agreement ( NAFTA), in force since 1994 and today immersed in a complex renegotiation between Mexico, the United States and Canada.
However, in the other three countries, thousands of kilometers, the role of United States stands out, 19659003] According to Ministry information These represent 27% of the total sales abroad of the South American country.
The National Customs Service of Chile identified that in 2017, in value of imports, 22% were of Chinese origin and 18% American. In exports, the figure was similar. The situation was very similar in Peru, according to data consulted by the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism.
On the other hand, trade between the four countries of the alliance is not distinguishable despite the elimination of 96% of tariffs.
] For Manuel Valencia, a specialist in international affairs at Tecnológico de Monterrey, the Pacific Alliance is full of "good intentions" that must [traduction] "be translated into reality".
At this summit, the bloc was looking for an evolution that the President of Peru, Martín Vizcarra, summed up in one word: revive. An action plan was announced in 2030 to promote integration and consolidate the mechanism towards the Asia-Pacific, among other points.
And most importantly, the rapprochement between the Alliance and Mercosur, formed by Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay, has been formalized and Uruguay. Together, they account for 79% of the regional population, nearly 90% of GDP, 86% of exports and 88% of foreign direct investment attraction.
Chilean President, Sebastián Piñera, celebrated the pbadage of a sheet of intentions to a "plan of action with objectives and deadlines " and so" I hope to arrive soon at a large free trade zone ", he said.
According to Valencia explained to Efe, the configuration of a large block between the two mechanisms
Contreras, however, the meeting Alianza Pacífico-Mercosur, the first with the presidents of the two instruments, was relevant in "political" terms.
However, he emphasized that "in commercial terms is far from making progress" that distorts the antiprotectionist message that they sent to the world.
It also excludes the configuration of a "Macro-partnership" in the short term, mainly because none of the q Four countries in Mercosur donate to the Pacific.
Under these conditions, the Alliance has no choice but to truly promote a union in many areas, given the fact that it seeks to give a social dimension at the commercial opening. [196] 59003] For example, Contreras recalled that although tourist visas have been eliminated between the four nations – and tourism has increased by 140% among the bloc countries since 2012 – the free movement of people does not increase. does not exist in matters of work.
"Where is the deep integration; I think (at the top) they spoke more than they really are", reiterated the specialist.
Among the opportunities to strengthen the Pacific Alliance, experts emphasize the strengthening of the role of the 55 observer countries, the negotiations of the first four badociated states (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Singapore), and to promote the possible inclusion of South Korea and Ecuador already interested. EFE
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