The embargo on Falkland Islands ships by South American countries could lead to a deterioration in relations between the UK and many emerging economies.
So says the Falkland's representative in the UK Sukey Cameron, who told HuffPost UK that the British government was investigating whether the embargo breaks international law.
"It's a British overseas territory they're taking action against," said Cameron. "Argentina's actions are fairly obvious, they're trying to strangle the islands' economy."
Mercosur, a trading bloc that includes Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay, reached the decision at a summit in the Uruguayan capital Montevideo on Monday. It comes as Argentina has become increasingly hostile once again towards the Falklands, which it considers Argentinian territory and over which it lost a war with Britain in 1982.
Tensions have risen in the region in recent months with the increasing likelihood of vast oil reserves being found in the Falklands territory, but Sukey Cameron insists relations have been deteriorating for several years. "The oil is an added excuse for them to raise the pressure. I don't think it's the cause, it's just an added excuse."
"This started last year with the presidential decree that made any ship transiting through Argentine waters to the Falklands to apply for a permit from the Argentine government to do so.
"What that did was put ship owners and charters off operating in the area. So whilst there have been no incidents or arrests as far as we're aware, the mere fact that they were threatening to arrest vessels that didn't have permits was enough to have an impact."
Cameron rejected the notion that we are going back to the 1980s, because she says before the Falklands War relations with Argentina were actually better than they are now.
"Pre-'82 we did have a working relationship with Argentina, albeit under sufferance from us, obviously that came to an end in '82, then in the late 80s and 90s we had a good relationship with them, actually.
We had agreements with them on hydrocarbons, fisheries, conservation, but all those agreements have been torn up, one by one, by the current Argentine government. It's been a gradual deterioration."
The Falklands representatives believes, however, that the blockade will probably be enforced by all South American countries. "They do all tend to bow to Argentine pressure, and whilst we have in the past had very good relations with some of them, they will not choose us over Argentina. If Argentina puts pressure on them to implement this policy, I presume that they will feel obliged to sign with Argentina."