The United States-Chile Free Trade Agreement (FTA) entered into force on January 1, 2004. The United States-Chile FTA eliminates tariffs and opens markets, reduces barriers for trade in services, provides protection for intellectual property, ensures regulatory transparency, guarantees nondiscrimination in the trade of digital products, commits the Parties to maintain competition laws that prohibit anticompetitive business conduct, and requires effective labor and environmental enforcement. As of January 1, 2015, all goods originating from the United States enter Chile duty free.
Highlights of the U.S.-Chile FTA
New Opportunities for U.S. Workers and Manufacturers: All exports of consumer and industrial products can now enter Chile duty free. Key U.S. export sectors benefit, such as agricultural and construction equipment, autos and auto parts, computers and other information technology products, medical equipment, and paper products.
Expanded Markets for U.S. Farmers and Ranchers: With all tariffs phased out in January 2015, key U.S. farm products benefit from improved market access, including for pork, beef, soybeans, durum wheat, feed grains, potatoes, and processed food products such as french fries, pasta, distilled spirits and breakfast cereals.
Access to A Fast-Growing Chilean Services Market: New access for U.S. banks, insurance companies, telecommunications companies, securities firms, express delivery companies, and professionals. U.S. firms may offer financial services to participants in Chile’s privatized pension system. The Agreement includes transparency rules to ensure that service regulators operate fairly
Strong Protections for Labor and the Environment: Both parties commit to effectively enforce their domestic labor and environmental laws. Chile has implemented reforms of existing environmental institutions pursuant to the Environment Chapter of the Agreement, and established new institutions, such as the Ministry of Environment. Learn more here.
