The flags of ASEAN member states in Jakarta, where Brazil accredited its first dedicated ambassador to the bloc in 2024. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)One-stop referenceCompany IntelligenceEvery listed company in Latin America — financials, ownership and structure for 1,450+ companies across 26 exchanges, in one place.Browse the directory →
Mercosur spent two decades negotiating with Europe and overlooked Southeast Asia. Brazil’s new ASEAN diplomacy shows what a real strategy could look like.
In March 2024, Brazil’s first dedicated ambassador to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Henrique Archanjo Ferraro, presented his letter of credence to the bloc’s Secretary-General in Jakarta. The ceremony drew little attention outside diplomatic circles. It should have drawn more.
Mercosur countries spent two decades negotiating the trade agreement with the European Union, which is causing more troubles than benefits, and possibly overlooked the opportunities represented by alternative markets across the Global South, such as ASEAN. It is important to outline that the current ASEAN member States (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and, since October 2025, Timor-Leste) have a total population of about 684 million people and a combined GDP of US$3.9 trillion. These indicators suggest that South America should seriously engage ASEAN partners.
