Development: On 28 February Paraguay’s industry and trade minister, Francisco Rivas, said that the government was considering its response to the trade barriers imposed by Argentina. Significance:  Argentina is Paraguay’s biggest export market, but economic relations between the two Southern Common Market (Mercosur) partners have been increasingly difficult since 2010, when Argentina unilaterally imposed non-tariff barriers. These barriers particularly affect the Mercosur minnows, Paraguay and Uruguay, who rely heavily on exports to the two main regional markets, Argentina and Brazil. Despite formal protests by Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay and protracted negotiations, a solution has not been forthcoming. Moreover, Mercosur’s official…

Paraguay | Deputy labour minister resigns, is reinstated. On 28 February, the Paraguayan press reported that deputy labour minister, Filemón Delvalle had resigned his post for undisclosed reasons and had been replaced by Jorge Luis Bernis. However no sooner was the news divulged than the labour and justice (MJT) minister, Humberto Blasco, came out and said that Delvalle would remain in his post and that the earlier resolution (N. 191) had been invalidated. According to Blasco, Delvalle had submitted his resignation, but was asked to reconsider by the CNT labour union, which originally nominated him for the post. Blasco said…

Development: On 29 February Argentine media including the state news agency Telam reported that Industry Minister Débora Giorgi had asked several Argentine companies to substitute imports from the United Kingdom (UK) with alternative supplies. Significance: The move is in line with the restrictive import policies being implemented by the government of President Cristina Fernández for the better part of two years now. Clearly, however, the move also has political implications, amidst the recent increase in diplomatic tensions over the Falklands/Malvinas archipelago. According to Argentina’s national statistics’ institute, Indec, Argentina’s imports from the UK were valued at a mere US$664.2m in…