Radu Miruta, former Minister of Economy, currently Minister of National Defense, states that Romania's decision to support the EU-Mercosur agreement is clearly advantageous for it.
"Trade agreements are made on data, negotiations and arguments. Mercosur is judged on figures, not on shouts. On figures to Romania's advantage, overall. Industry (auto, industrial equipment, steel) is clearly at an advantage. Agriculture claimed that it is at a disadvantage. Both are important for Romania, so the balance must be analyzed correctly. The figures are cold and without political color and this is where the decision comes from", Radu Miruta wrote on Friday evening on his Facebook account.
According to the former Minister of Economy, "in 2023, Romania exported industrial products worth 176.5 million euros to Mercosur countries, for which 47.4 million euros in customs duties were paid".
"After signing the agreement, these duties become almost zero - a direct and substantial gain for the Romanian economy", points out Radu Miruta.
As to agriculture, he says that, "according to ARICE data (General Secretariat of the Government), beef imports from Mercosur countries in 2023 were 46 tons, i.e. 0.05% of the quota, a value 2,000 times lower than the threshold at which duties are applied at European level".
"For chicken, imports were 1,000 tons, while the limit established by the agreement up to which nothing changes is 180,000 tons. The impact is, therefore, insignificant. The data transmitted by the Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of Agriculture, analyzed together, clearly show that the benefits for the Romanian industry are clearly superior to the disadvantages for agriculture, which says so, but has not provided data. I explicitly asked the Ministry of Agriculture to come up with other data that could change this balance. Even to this day, after the European decision was made, no response has come. The conclusion is simple and based on facts: Romania's decision to support the EU-Mercosur agreement is clearly advantageous for Romania", explained the former Minister of Economy.
Radu Miruta mentioned that the Free Trade Agreement between the European Union and the Mercosur countries (Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay) has been under negotiation for over 25 years.
"Everything in plain sight, nothing hidden. Moreover, last year, the President of Romania publicly announced Romania's official position regarding this agreement. A position known to all Romanian citizens. In the meantime, the guarantees requested by Romania were technically negotiated, and Romania obtained what it requested. Europe needs new export markets. Europe must remain a global trade player. This agreement is important for the European Union and is a clear win for Romania: we will export more, we will have access to cheaper raw materials and we will support the competitiveness of the Romanian industry. Checking imported products remains the responsibility of each state, which is why we have ANSVSA, ANPC and control mechanisms. In addition, the agreement provides for a series of safety nets so that our farmers do not suffer. As I said - big politics is about numbers, data, arguments, negotiation, not screaming", the former Minister of Economy also wrote on his social media.
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