Chamber Calls for Action on U.S.-Chile Free Trade

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The United States Chamber of Commerce today called on the U.S. Congress and the Bush administration to move quickly to sign and approve the free trade agreement with Chile – a major issue highlighted at the 36th Annual Meeting of the Association of American Chambers of Commerce in Latin America.

"Approval of the U.S.-Chile free trade agreement will strengthen the relationship between our countries and open the door to new opportunities for businesses and workers in both countries," said Chamber Vice President for the Western Hemisphere John Murphy.

Passage of the U.S.-Chile FTA will advance U.S. interests by eliminating trade barriers, protecting U.S. investment and intellectual property rights and paving the way for the Free Trade Area of the Americas, According to the Chamber.

Chile is currently the 6th largest market for U.S. exports in Latin America, while the U.S. is the largest export market for Chilean products. Trade between the two countries surpassed $6 billion in 2002.

"The Chamber is at the forefront of promoting bilateral trade agreements to increase jobs and help the U.S. economy and those of our trading partners," continued Murphy. "With other nations signing new free trade agreements at a rapid pace, we must negotiate new trade deals of our own to remain competitive in the international marketplace."

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world's largest business federation representing more than three million businesses and organizations of every size, sector and region.

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