Asked about Uruguay’s accession process to the TPP, Deputy Foreign Minister Valeria Csukasi said the country has already answered around 1,300 questions covering all areas of the agreement, in a process she described as particularly demanding because compliance with each provision must be demonstrated before negotiations on market access can begin.
“We have been told that this has been the most serious and efficient accession process so far,” she said, although she declined to give a timeline. Accession requires the approval of all 14 countries that are members or will become members of the bloc, including Costa Rica, whose entry has already been confirmed.
Among the markets that would open up under the agreement, she mentioned Japan and Canada. Mercosur is still negotiating a bilateral agreement with Canada, but has yet to reach a deal.
