Latin America’s Divergent Trade Blocs Weigh Greater Cooperation

Latin America’s two dominant trade blocs should reject the notion that they can’t collaborate and build policies to boost growth and tackle inequality, said regional leaders meeting in Santiago today.

The Mercosur and the Pacific Alliance, which represent 90 percent of Latin America and the Caribbean’s gross domestic product and more than 80 percent of its trade, have seen their share of global trade stagnate at 6 percent or less since the late 1990s, according to the United Nations regional unit, Cepal.