Miguel Braun
Miguel Braun Cortés (born November 30, 1973) is an Argentine economist and policymaker who served was Secretary of Commerce of the Ministry of Production (2015–2018) and Secretary of Economic Policy of the Ministry of Finance (2018–2019) of the Argentine Republic. Biography Braun holds a bachelor's degree, summa cum laude, in Economics from University of San Andrés. He graduated with honors in 1996. He continued his postgraduate studies in the United States. He obtained a PhD in Economics from Harvard University. Between 2000 and 2003 he was a member of the Academic Council of Universidad of San Andrés, as well as a professor of Economic Policy, Banking Theory and Macroeconomics. He also worked as a professor at the Torcuato di Tella University and at the University of Buenos Aires. Professional activity In 2000, he was co-founder of CIPPEC (Center for the Implementation of Public Policy for Equity and Growth), where he worked as Director of Fiscal Policy (2000–2006) and executive director (2007–2010). He has served as an economic consultant to the World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, CELAC, UNICEF and the Ministry of Economy (Argentina), among others. Between 2010 and 2015 he served as the executive director of Pensar Foundation. In February 2013, he was appointed as Director of Bank of the City of Buenos Aires, a position he held until December 2015. Political career On December 10, 2015, was appointed Secretary of Commerce of the Argentine Republic, a then dependent body of the Ministry of Production. He held this position until October 4, 2018. In this role, he was responsible for overseeing trade policies, negotiations and regulations, and competition and consumer protection measures. One of the main priorities of the Mauricio Macri administration was to open up Argentina's economy to international trade. Braun also focused on consumer protection issues. He worked to improve consumer rights and ensure that businesses adhered to fair trade practices. He played a role in the formulation and promotion of competition law reforms in Argentina. Miguel Braun was actively involved in the negotiations surrounding the EU-Mercosur Trade Agreement.This agreement aimed to establish a free trade zone between the European Union and the Mercosur countries (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay). The agreement, which had been under negotiation for many years, was seen as a significant achievement during his time as Secretary of Commerce. It was intended to open up new markets for Argentine exports and strengthen economic ties between the two regions.However, the agreement also faced challenges and controversy. "It is true that the agreement will make us compete with the best, but the agreement gives us room to maneuver," Braun said on Twitter. VUCE (Ventanilla Única de Comercio Exterior – Single Window for Foreign Trade) is a digital platform aimed at simplifying and streamlining foreign trade procedures in Argentina. Miguel Braun's work involved supporting the development and implementation of VUCE, which was designed to reduce bureaucracy and improve efficiency in international trade processes. During Miguel Braun's tenure, trade negotiations with the United States included discussions related to