Former Brazilian Minister stands by Argentina in bilateral trade conflict

Former Brazilian Industry and Foreign Trade Minister Miguel Jorge decided to weight in on the bilateral trade conflict currently affecting Brazil and Argentina, and surprisingly came out in defence of the Fernández de Kirchner administration, comparing President Rousseff’s move to impose non-automatic licenses on import vehicles to “firing a cannon ball.”

Jorge, who served as former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s minister in the last four years of his government, suggested the Brazilian government to “be patient with Argentina” during trade negotiations, comparing the decision made bythe Rousseff administration to restrict vehicle imports to “firing a cannon ball” against the local government. 

Argentine and Brazilian negotiators toned down the bilateral trade conflict and remarked that there’s a new meeting between both sides next Thursday in Brasilia.

“We are to Argentina what, despite some large differences, China is for Brazil. The population, the GDP and Brazilian industrial production rates are several times larger than in Argentina,” he said.

He stated, however, that the trade conflict with Argentina “is not a constant” and recalled that during his administration “both parts always found a way to come to an agreement.”