The Falklands dispute threatens Argentina’s bid to join the trans-Pacific trade pact

AI Summary

Argentina’s dispute with the United Kingdom over the Sea Lion oil project near the Falkland Islands could hinder Argentina’s bid to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. The UK has not ruled out using its membership to block the application, which requires consensus, and has questioned Argentina’s reliability as a partner.

The escalating dispute between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the Sea Lion oil project north of the Falklands has spilled into trade: London, a member of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, has not ruled out using its position to stall Argentina’s bid to join the pact, which requires the consensus of all its members. The British government says Buenos Aires’s conduct raises “very serious questions about its reliability as a partner”.