Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani will speak today at the Teatro Metastasio in Prato at the Italy-Latin America Business Forum, jointly organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI) and IILA with the support of the Italian Trade Agency (ITA).
The initiative brings together institutions and companies to explore the opportunities arising from the EU-MERCOSUR Free Trade Agreement, ahead of its entry into force on May 1.
The Forum will be opened by representatives of Italian and Latin American institutions and companies and will consist of thematic sessions and operational meetings between Latin American companies, trade associations, and government officials, focusing on sectors with the greatest potential for internationalization, including mechanical engineering, chemical-pharmaceuticals, the fashion system, and agro-industry. The Forum’s high-level institutional segment will be held in the afternoon, with the participation – inter alia – of IILA Secretary General Giorgio Silli, the Vice President of the Republic of El Salvador, the Minister of Industry and Trade of Venezuela, the Secretary for Economic Relations of the Argentine Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Deputy Minister of External Relations of Paraguay, and the Deputy Minister of Economic Affairs and International Cooperation of the Dominican Republic. The leaders of ITA, SACE, SIMEST, and CDP, Confindustria, as well as representatives of other Latin American and Caribbean countries, will also participate.
Trade between Italy and Latin America and the Caribbean has grown significantly in recent years, reaching €34 billion in 2025, with a positive balance of €6.5 billion. In this context, the EU-Mercosur Agreement could contribute to further strengthening trade and expanding opportunities for our production chains in the region.
