​​Swiss delegation visits Buenos Aires to advance EFTA-MERCOSUR trade deal

A Swiss delegation visited Buenos Aires last week for high-level discussions and bilateral meetings, with the prime aim of advancing the EFTA-Mercosur trade deal.

Back in September, officials representing the Mercosur and European Free Trade Association (EFTA) signed a sweeping free-trade agreement at a summit in Brazil. 

However, the treaty will only take effect once it has been ratified by the parliaments of each member state in both blocs. According to the Swiss delegation, a date of June 2026 has been pencilled in for its conclusion.

Made up of non-EU states Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, EFTA promotes free trade and economic integration for the benefit of its member states. Its deal with Mercosur – composed of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and member state Bolivia – could create a market with a combined GDP of around US$4.3 trillion.

The visiting team from Switzerland – from the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Swiss upper house of parliament, the Council of States – was led by its president, Senator Marco Chiesa (Centrist Democratic Union, Ticino). 

The delegation also included the committee’s vice-president, Senator Carlos Sommaruga (Social Democratic Party, Geneva) and Senators Daniel Jositsch (Social Democratic Party, Zurich), Beat Rieder (Centre Party, Valais) and Tiana Moser (Green Liberal Party, Zurich), as well as Secretary Andrea Anastasi, head of the Swiss Parliament's Department of International Affairs.

During their three-day mission the delegation held a working lunch at the Cámara de Comercio Suizo-Argentina (CCSA), visited a Swiss-owned cosmetics plant in General Rodríguez that exports across Latin America, met civil society representatives from the Poder Ciudadano NGO to discuss democratic governance and stopped at the Swiss Club of Buenos Aires, located in the Tigre district.

The delegation also visited Parque de la Memoria in Buenos Aires, paying tribute to the victims of state terrorism and visiting a Memoria Abierta exhibition that was supported by the Swiss Embassy.

Talks with officials

The representatives also met with Argentine parliamentary and executive authorities, including the president of the Senate’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Francisco Paoltroni, and Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno, with whom they shared a meeting at the Palacio San Martín. 

In remarks to the press, Chiesa highlighted that Argentina’s economy is "on track to become more open and deregulated” than before. He said Swiss firms are eyeing opportunities to boost trade and investment opportunities.

Quizzed about the meetings with officials in Buenos Aires, the Swiss senator praised the “quality of relations” and expressed hope for a boost in bilateral trade and investment. He also praised Argentina’s “extraordinary resources.”

A central topic during talks was the advancement of the EFTA-Mercosur free-trade agreement, which was signed in September in Rio de Janeiro. 

At a press conference with reporters, members of the Swiss delegation emphasised the potential of the deal, highlighting that – after transitional periods – roughly 96 percent of Swiss exports to Mercosur member states would be fully tariff-free. 

In turn, Switzerland has granted 25 bilateral import quotas to Mercosur member states for sensitive agricultural products, notably meat.

Chiesa said, however, that Switzerland’s model of "direct democracy” – a legal framework that enables all citizens over the age of 18 to vote on key issues – could see the EFTA-Mercosur deal put to a public vote in a referendum, putting its fate in the balance. 

The agreement also establishes bilateral import quotas for sensitive agricultural goods – notably meat – and includes protections for intellectual property and geographic indications such as “Gruyère” and “Sbrinz.” 

It also incorporates a chapter on sustainable development, with binding commitments on climate action, sustainable forestry and marine resource use, biodiversity, and labour protections.

Talks between Mercosur and EFTA began in January 2017 and concluded in July this year. The process accelerated after both blocs announced a “political agreement” had been reached in 2019, though the final details remained in dispute until this year.

The pact covers a wide range of trade disciplines, from goods and intellectual property to technical barriers to trade, sanitary measures and digital services.

The Swiss delegation described the visit as a step towards consolidating economic cooperation and advancing parliamentary ratification of the trade pact. Their schedule underscores their commitment to human rights, democratic values and sustainable economic development.