Bolivia Approved to Become a Full Member of MERCOSUR
The accession process for Bolivia to become a full member of MERCOSUR (Mercado Común Del Sur or the “Common Market of the South”) was completed in July 2024. The process began in July 2015, when Bolivia was approved to become a full member of MERCOSUR, the largest trading bloc in South America. During the accession process, MERCOSUR’s member countries (Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay) endorsed Bolivia’s entry.
Bolivia now has four years to adapt its legislation to MERCOSUR’s guidelines. This process includes incorporating the trading bloc’s resolutions specifying requirements for food-contact materials (FCMs) into Bolivian law. Technical Regulations, which are approved by MERCOSUR’s governing body (Grupo Mercado Común or GMC), are the primary means of establishing the composition and test requirements for FCMs within the bloc’s member states. GMC Technical Regulations are not legally binding until they are transposed into the individual MERCOSUR member states’ laws. (For additional background information, see the packaginglaw.com article, Update: Food Packaging Regulations in Latin America.)
A MERCOSUR press release concerning Bolivia becoming a full member of MERCOSUR can be found here.