ASSESSMENTS

Argentina and Brazil Race the Clock on Reform

Feb 5, 2018 | 09:00 GMT

The window of opportunity for Argentina and Brazil to move forward with trade and economic liberalization policies is fast closing amid the prospect of political change in both countries.

The window of opportunity for Argentina and Brazil to move forward with trade and economic liberalization policies is fast closing amid the prospect of political change in both countries.

(iStock/Getty Images/Stratfor)

For the economic powerhouses of the southern cone of the Americas, there's no time like the present. Argentine President Mauricio Macri's ruling coalition, Let's Change, made gains in legislative elections late last year, strengthening his hand in the pursuit of economic and trade liberalization that will allow Argentina to attract more foreign investment and benefit from possible transatlantic trade deals. And while Macri's counterpart in Brazil, Michel Temer, might not boast as strong a hand, the latter is also seeking to implement reforms that will open South America's largest country to more business. For Macri and Temer, however, looming elections oblige both to redouble their efforts on economic reforms before the clock strikes zero....