EFTA and Mercosur hold 12th round of free trade negotiations

Building on the technical work conducted through online meetings earlier in 2025, delegations made further progress in the remaining issues. Topics covered included trade in goods, rules of origin, trade in services, trade and sustainable development, intellectual property, government procurement and legal questions. The EFTA and Mercosur States reaffirmed their commitment to completing the necessary work and finalising the agreement in the coming months.

Karin Büchel, Minister at the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, acted as the EFTA spokesperson. Rodrigo Bardoneschi, Minister at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship in Argentina headed the Mercosur delegation.

Economic relations between the EFTA and Mercosur States

In 2024, the EFTA States exported goods worth more than EUR 5 261 million to Mercosur. The primary exports included pharmaceutical products, organic chemicals, machinery and mechanical appliances. In return, EFTA’s imports from Mercosur amounted to approximately EUR 1 186 million and were mainly composed of inorganic chemicals; coffee, tea, maté and spices; waste from the food industries, animal feed; aluminium and article thereof; and meat.

Read more about merchandise trade between EFTA and Mercosur here.