In October 1992 Bolivia made a presentation to the MERCOSUR Common Market Group regarding its eventual incorporation into MERCOSUR (Article 20 of the 1991 Treaty of Asunción, which created the MERCOSUR Customs Union, provides for the accession of additional parties once the MERCOSUR Agreement has been in force for five years). At their meeting on 17 January 1994, the MERCOSUR Common Market Council, in a communication, stated that a trade agreement with Bolivia was a priority for them and invited Bolivia to participate as an observer in some of MERCOSUR's working groups. In 1995, MERCOSUR issued a Memorandum of Understanding laying out the conditions for a trade agreement with Bolivia and stating as a goal the formation of this free trade area within ten years. On 7 December 1995 the Parties signed ALADI Economic Complementation Agreement 34, an agreement with a duration of one year from 1 January 1996, during which the Parties would continue to negotiate a more comprehensive free trade agreement. Paragraph 7 of a Communication from the MERCOSUR Presidents at the completion of their meeting on 25 June 1996 expressed satisfaction at the progress made in the negotiations and expressed confidence about the construction of the free trade agreement.

The Free Trade Agreement between Bolivia and MERCOSUR was signed on 17 December 1996 and entered into force on 28 February 1997. This Agreement, registered with the ALADI Secretariat as Economic Complementation Agreement Nº 36 (ACE36), superseded and replaced ACE 34.

MERCOSUR and the other Andean countries have also continued the process of deepening their trade relationship through negotiations within an Andean Community-MERCOSUR framework resulting in the conclusion of Economic Complementation Agreement Nº 58, between Peru and MERCOSUR and Economic Complementation Agreement Nº 59 between Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela and MERCOSUR.

Documents relating to the negotiations between Bolivia and MERCOSUR
17 December 1995	MERCOSUR Memorandum of Understanding with respect to the relation of Bolivia with MERCOSUR
17 January 1994	MERCOSUR Common Market Council Communication
Source: Secretaría del MERCOSUR

The Agreement entered into force on 28 February 1997.

The legal documents allowing the agreement to enter into force in each of the countries are as follows:

ARGENTINA: Decree N° 415 from 03/18/1991 (CR/di 274)
BOLIVIA: Decree N° 24.503 from 02/21/1997 and Supreme Decree 25651 from 01/14/2000 (CR/di 654 y CR/di 1057)
BRASIL: Decree N° 2.240 from 05/28/1997 (CR/di 690 y SEC/di 980)
PARAGUAY: Decree N° 16.626 from 03/21/1997 (CR/di 685)
URUGUAY: Decree N° 663 from 11/27/1985 (SEC/di 202)

The text of the agreement is supplemented by a number of additional protocols to the agreement, which guide the implementation of the agreements and in various cases, particularly with respect to specific rules of origin and make modifications to the obligations contained in the normative text. The protocols to ACE 36, including the protocol on physical integration, are listed below. The documents are listed chronologically, with the most recent one listed first.

Additional Protocols to ECA 36
01 December 2023	Thirty-Second Additional Protocol
01 December 2023	Thirty-First Additional Protocol
01 December 2023	Thirtieth Additional Protocol
26 January 2017	Twenty-ninth Additional Protocol
26 January 2017	Twenty-eighth Additional Protocol
16 August 2011	Twenty-seventh Additional Protocol
04 October 2010	Twenty-sixth Additional Protocol
	Agreement between Argentina and Bolivia on the Construction of a Bridge at the Border Crossing Salvador Mazza-Yacuiba
14 February 2007	Twenty-fifth Additional Protocol: Approving the Plan of action for a foot-and-mouth disease free MERCOSUR
18 August 2006	Twenty-fourth Additional Protocol: Incorporating the Inter-institutional Agreement on mutual assistance and cooperation between the customs administrations in Bolivia and Paraguay
28 December 2005	Twenty-third Additional Protocol: modifying Article 19, changing the date at which products incorporating inputs temporarily imported or under the drawback regime no longer benefit from the Trade Liberalization schedule
30 December 2004	Twenty-second Additional Protocol: incorporating the "agreement for trade facilitation through the establishment of integrated control areas on the borders of the MERCOSUR members and Bolivia".
30 September 2004	Twenty-first Additional Protocol: incorporating and adjusting preferences in Annexes 2 and 7
07 December 2004	Twentieth Additional Protocol: incorporating the "Agreement between Argentina  and Bolivia for the construction of a bridge on the Salvador Mazza-Yacuiba border" (signed on 19 March 2004), as an annex to the Additional Protocol on Physical Integration
23 July 2004	Nineteenth Additional Protocol: modifying the original agreement through modifications in the preferences authorized by the Parties
07 August 2002	Eighteenth Additional Protocol: authorizing the extension of the special origin regime, as set out in sections (a) and (b) of Appendix 2 to Annex 9 of ACE 36 from 1 July 2002 until 31 December 2002
31 December 2001	Seventeenth Additional Protocol: authorizing certain quotas by Argentina for Bolivia
31 December 2001	Sixteenth Additional Protocol: extending the application of section (a) of Appendix 2 of Annex 9 of ACE 36 until 31 March 2002
31 December 2001	Fifteenth Additional Protocol: modifying Article 19 (under the section of Export Incentives) of ACE 36
03 August 2001	Fourteenth Additional Protocol: deepening the preferences (set out in Annexes 1-7) authorized among signatory Parties and specific origin requirements
19 June 2001	Thirteenth Additional Protocol: modifying the deadline for certificates of origin
19 June 2001	Twelfth Additional Protocol: Argentina authorizes an import quota for Bolivia until 31 December 2001
19 June 2001	Eleventh Additional Protocol: approving the dispute settlement regime (set out in Annex I of the additional protocol)
19 June 2001	Tenth Additional Protocol: extending the application of the origin regime, set forth in Appendix 2, part (b) to Annex 9
19 June 2001	Ninth Additional Protocol: establishing entry into force of 12 March 2002 for certification of origin of products exported through pipelines
27 April 2000	Eighth Additional Protocol:  extending the application of Annex 11 until 29 February 2000 and until the entry into force of the new dispute settlement regime
30 December 1999	Seventh Additional Protocol: extending the special treatment with respect to rules of origin for products listed in Annex 9, Appendix 2 (b) from  01 January 2000 to 31 March 2000
30 December 1999	Sixth Additional Protocol: extending preferential treatment with respect to quotas for goods with tariff lines from 6205.20.00 to 6205.30.00 listed in Annex 2 from 01 January 2000 to 31 March 2000
27 September 1999	Fifth Additional Protocol: modifying Annex 9 Article 15 on the issuance of certificates of origin for goods used for display at trade shows and fairs
29 June 1999	Fourth Additional Protocol: modifying article 42
21 January 1999	Third Additional Protocol: expanding preferences for products in Chapter 27
05 August 1998	Second Additional Protocol: substituting numeral 25 of  Annex 9 of Appendix I which establishes specific rules of origin in telecommunications and informatics
14 October 1997	First Additional Protocol: adopting the form for the new certificate of origin for negotiated goods
30 September 1996	Additional Protocol regarding physical integration
Source:  ALADI Secretariat

• Secretaría de la ALADI
• Secretaría de la Comunidad Andina
• Secretaría del MERCOSUR