Paraguay puts national development ahead of EU demands, deputy trade minister says

Paraguay will not reshape its production system for what Deputy Trade Minister Alberto Sborovsky called the European Union’s small duty-free quotas. He said the country’s sovereignty and national interests stand above demands imposed by the European bloc.

Speaking on the program Mesa con EVP, Sborovsky said Paraguay would not subordinate its productive development to external rules that could threaten national economic growth. He said the Paraguayan delegation had presented a pragmatic position during a recent international panel on the future of trade between Mercosur and the European Union.

Sborovsky said European countries want access to Mercosur raw materials and food, but stressed that Paraguay does not depend exclusively on that market. Paraguayan meat and grains already have established buyers in strategic destinations including the United States, Chile, Taiwan, Brazil and Singapore, supported by what he described as a strong and competitive sanitary status.

The deputy minister criticised certification requirements that Europe seeks to impose on South American products. In his view, the bloc’s tariff concessions may improve exporters’ profit margins, but they should not force Paraguay to change its entire productive model or become a bureaucratic barrier to economic growth.

“Our interests are above the demands and interests of other countries. Be careful about placing development below certain audits,” Sborovsky said.

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Our interests are above the demands and interests of other countries. Be careful about placing development below certain audits.