The sectoral impact of an integration agreement between MERCOSUR and NAFTA: the case of the petrochemical industry

ANDRÉS LÓPEZ, GASTÓN ROSSI

MERCOSUR and the creation of the Free Trade Area of the Americas

Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars

Lugar: Washington; Año: 2005; p. 169 - 216

In recent years negotiations have been undertaken aimed at establishing a Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA). These negotiations, which have been taking place in a scenario of increasing trade liberalization in the continent, began soon after the creation and/or deepening of several regional integration agreements, including the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the Southern Cone Common Market (MERCOSUR), the Andean Community and the Central American Common Market. In parallel with FTAA negotiations, the possibility of an agreement between MERCOSUR and NAFTA has also been discussed. The objective of this study is to contribute to the evaluation of the consequences of such kind of agreement from a sectoral point of view. In this case, we will focus our analysis on the petrochemical industry , which is a mature sector that has a long history in MERCOSUR as well as in NAFTA member countries, and whose weight in terms of production and foreign trade is high in both regions.