MERCOSUR
The Southern Common Market
MERCOSUR (Mercado Común del Sur — Common Market of the South) is a South American regional trade bloc established by the Treaty of Asunción, signed on March 26, 1991, by Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay. The Ouro Preto Protocol (1994) gave it an international legal personality.
- Full members: Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Bolivia (which completed accession in 2024).
- Associate members include Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, and Suriname.
- A common external tariff (CET) and a customs union came into formal effect on January 1, 1995.
- MERCOSUR collectively represents one of the largest economic blocs in South America by GDP and trade volume.
- Venezuela was suspended indefinitely in 2016 for failing to incorporate the bloc's democratic norms.
● Tracked since February 21, 2026 · last seen June 08, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes
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