This paper, based on the matrix of the Mercosur international input-output of 1990, evaluates, through added value, the insertion of the Brazilian economy in Mercosur. In relative terms, the added value induced in Brazil by the respective demands of Argentina, Chile and Uruguay are the highest in the region. This, associated with the industrialization levels of the Brazilian economy and with the structural needs for imported products which the industries of the partner countries have, shows the relative importance of the Brazilian economy as a supplier of finished products, basic industrial materials, and capital goods for Mercosur. However, for the economies of Argentina, Chile and Uruguay, the biggest partner in the region in the generation of added value is Brazil. Therefore, the paper concludes that the markets of the region are potentially complementary and, as a result, the process of regional economic integration can effectively represent for Brazil and its partner countries a permanent option widening for the space for production and circulation of goods.
