Australia-Chile FTA: First Round of Negotiations Concluded in Canberra

Minister Truss affirmed that the FTA negotiations were a new step towards a broader strategic relationship with Chile.  A second round of negotiations has been scheduled for Santiago in October.

Following the announcement on 18 July 2007 by the Australian Minister for Trade, Warren Truss, that Australia has decided to proceed with free trade agreement negotiations with Chile, a first round of formal talks was held in Canberra between 7 and 9 August.

The Chilean delegation was led by the Director-General of Direcon, Carlos Furche, and included representatives from the Ministries of Agriculture, Finance, Economy, Transport, as well as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

At the conclusion of the three days of talks, Mr Furche said “this was a very fruitful first round, our negotiating groups have progressed the texts of the various chapters, achieving progress with our Australian counterparts.”

Both countries affirmed their commitment to negotiating an agreement that would be comprehensive and high quality. A second round of negotiations has been scheduled for Santiago in October.

Mr Truss affirmed that the FTA negotiations were a new step towards a broader strategic relationship with Chile, and Australia’s relations with Latin America in general. He said that the Government was committed to securing new trade and investment opportunities for Australian business through the sucessful conclusion of bilateral FTA negotiations.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) continues to welcome submissions from Australian industry on the specific barriers they face in the Chilean market. Submissions need not be lengthy – a short e-mail outlining details of barriers companies face in Chile would suffice. DFAT will continue to accept submissions during the negotiations. For further information, please go to:
www.dfat.gov.au/geo/chile/fta/index.html.