During a meeting on Thursday, November 5, 2026, in Asunción, Paraguay, the agriculture ministers of the Southern Agricultural Council (CAS) unanimously expressed their support for IICA’s efforts. The organisation presented an extensive study on the possible consequences of European regulations on maximum residue limits (MRLs) for pesticides in agricultural products.
According to the ministers, the proposed changes could lead to uncertainty in international food trade. They also fear that the predictability of trade agreements will be affected and that the multilateral trading system will come under pressure.
Joint action against European trade restrictions
The agriculture ministers have asked IICA Director General Muhammad Ibrahim to organise a meeting with agriculture ministers from across the Americas. The aim is to reach a joint position on the European proposals.
The countries involved believe that any adjustments to the regulations should be based on scientific risk assessments. This should protect consumer health without unnecessarily excluding agricultural products from international markets.
An action plan was also drawn up during the meeting in Paraguay. It includes bringing the issue to the attention of the World Trade Organization (WTO). In addition, several initiatives are planned in Europe to make the objections and concerns of agricultural-producing countries known.
Brazil and Argentina particularly vulnerable
The study Impact Assessment of EU MRL Restrictions on the Americas’ Agri-Food Exports, commissioned by IICA and carried out by research firm Bryan Christie, shows that agricultural products with a combined annual trade value of approximately USD 44.2 billion could be affected by the European measures. This amount is based on average trade values for the period from 2022 through 2024.
Together, Brazil and Argentina account for 88 percent of the trade value exposed to the possible new rules among the CAS countries.
The soybean sector is particularly at risk. In Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay, soybeans, including soybean meal used as animal feed, are among the main export products that could be affected by the measures.
Other vulnerable agricultural products include peanuts and sunflower seeds from Argentina, coffee and mangoes from Brazil, nuts, avocados and kiwis from Chile, Brazil nuts from Bolivia, peanuts from Paraguay and rapeseed from Uruguay.
The study emphasises that governments, producers and exporters need to better align their scientific data, positions and trade strategies in order to defend their interests in international negotiations.
Call for faster measures
The Argentine delegation expressed appreciation for IICA’s study during the meeting. According to the delegation, the organisation provides important scientific information that enables agricultural countries to defend their trade interests and better substantiate investment decisions in research and development.
The delegation stressed that swift action is necessary to limit possible negative consequences for trade and agricultural production.
CAS consists of the agriculture ministers of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay. The partnership has played an important role in coordinating regional agricultural policy for more than twenty years.
The ministers stress that international food trade benefits from clear, transparent and scientifically substantiated rules. According to them, new regulations should not only guarantee food safety, but also be in line with existing international trade agreements.
