Argentina/Chile: Free Trade Agreement, with Antitrust promotion, ratified by Chilean parliament

Argentina and Chile have signed a Free Trade Agreement, which could be implemented in just 90 days after certain formal steps have been taken. The agreement is considered a first step towards a series of more important agreements at the regional level.

The new agreement between Argentina and Chile will aim at facilitating the exchange of products, in addition to eliminating bureaucratic and customs barriers on both sides of the border, including the elimination of the roaming system for telecommunications and the reduction of barriers to e-commerce.

The agreement also includes provisions for cooperation, coordination, exchange of information and consultations, related to the promotion and protection of free competition, as well as commitments for the elimination of unnecessary technical obstacles, the promotion of regulatory cooperation, and incorporation of the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade issued by the WTO.

The agreement is seen by some as an important step for Argentina, since through the new commercial partner, national products could be shipped all over the world. “It would be significant to see how Brazil joins in this direction, to then see a true alliance in all of South America, ending with what is today Mercosur,” said economist Adrián Ravier.

Full Content: iProfesional & Panam Post

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