EU, Chile Negotiators Begin Laying Groundwork to Update Trade Deal

Officials from the European Union and Chile concluded a weeklong round of negotiations in Santiago, Chile, last Friday, aiming to set the stage for updating their trade accord, which dates back over 15 years. Officials say that the 15-19 January meetings allowed for the first in-depth discussion between the two negotiating teams since talks were launched in 2017. The two sides formally kicked off this effort in November, confirming that the changes are necessary to bring their trade and investment relationship up to speed with the current climate. They have also noted the benefits that the existing agreement has already brought to their bilateral ties. The EU-Chile trade deal is part of an Association Agreement that has been in place since 2002. “In the economic pillar [of the Association Agreement], this accord opened the doors for us to one of the world’s major economies, and today the bloc is our third largest trading partner and primary source of investment,” said Paulina Nazal, director-general of DIRECON, Chile’s General Directorate of International Economic Relations within the country’s ministry of foreign affairs. The EU-Chile negotiations come during a particularly intense period for both sides, with the EU looking to ink new or updated...