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Chile to engage in dialogue with U.S. over proposed tariffs
🇵🇾 Paraguay /Economy & Trade

Chile to engage in dialogue with U.S. over proposed tariffs

From ABC Color · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Chile will continue constructive dialogue with the United States following a US proposal to impose tariffs on imports from 46 countries, including Chile.
  • The proposed tariffs are due to the countries not adopting sufficient measures against forced labor.
  • Chile's Foreign Minister stated the country will protect its interests and promote mutually beneficial trade relations.

Chile's government has announced it will engage in "constructive dialogue" with the United States following Washington's proposal to impose tariffs on imports from 46 countries, including Chile. The U.S. Trade Representative's Office (USTR) recommended the tariffs, ranging from 10% to 12.5%, citing the insufficient measures taken by these nations to combat forced labor.

Chile will continue to dialogue with the U.S. authorities to safeguard our interests and those of the national export sector, promoting solutions that contribute to strengthening a trade relationship of mutual benefit.

— Francisco Pérez MackennaChile's Foreign Minister on the country's approach to the proposed U.S. tariffs.

Chilean Foreign Minister Francisco Pérez Mackenna affirmed that the country will work to safeguard its interests and those of its national export sector. "Chile will continue to dialogue with the U.S. authorities to safeguard our interests and those of the national export sector, promoting solutions that contribute to strengthening a trade relationship of mutual benefit," he stated. The USTR's recommendation highlighted that the "lack of action by our most important trading partners to address the import of products made with forced labor is unacceptable," as it forces U.S. workers to compete under unequal conditions.

The USTR is accepting public comments on the proposed tariffs until July 6, after which public hearings will be held before a final decision is made. This proposal comes after a temporary 10% tariff was already imposed on Chilean products by the Trump administration. If the USTR's recommendation is enacted, the tariff on Chilean goods could increase to 12.5%.

The lack of action by our most important trading partners to address the import of products made with forced labor is unacceptable.

— Jamieson GreerU.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer explaining the rationale behind the proposed tariffs.

Chile, which has Free Trade Agreements with both China and the United States, faces a delicate diplomatic and economic balancing act. China is Chile's largest trading partner, while the U.S. is its biggest foreign investor. President Gabriel Boric's administration is committed to maintaining strong relationships with both economic powers while upholding its trade commitments and addressing international concerns like forced labor. Pérez Mackenna emphasized Chile's active participation in all relevant discussions to secure the best conditions for the nation.

Our country has participated actively in all processes, and will continue to be actively deployed in all conversations with the respective counterparts with the objective of safeguarding national interests and achieving the best conditions.

— Francisco Pérez MackennaChile's Foreign Minister on the country's proactive stance in trade discussions.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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