Chile negotiates with U.S. for tariff exemption on salmon, other products

Chile is actively negotiating with the United States to secure exemptions from a new 12.5% tariff imposed by the Trump administration. The tariffs, justified by the U.S. as a response to insufficient efforts to combat forced labor, affect a range of Chilean exports.

Chile's Undersecretary of International Economic Relations, Paula Estévez, stated that the country is seeking to move affected products like salmon, grapes, blueberries, wines, and fresh fruits to a list of excluded items. Currently, 53.5% of Chile's 1,500 exported products to the U.S. are exempt, including its primary export, copper.

Estévez acknowledged that Chile anticipated the measure, noting the absence of a specific law prohibiting the import of goods produced with forced labor, despite having a robust institutional framework for its eradication. She characterized the U.S. action as a sovereign trade policy related to national security and revenue generation.

In 2025, Chilean exports to the U.S. totaled $17.741 billion, with mining products accounting for $9.412 billion. The U.S. is the largest market for Chilean salmon, with exports exceeding $2 billion last year.