T&T, Chile Resume Partial-Scope Talks

• Trinidad and Tobago and Chile yesterday commenced the fourth round of negotiations for a Partial Scope Trade Agreement between the two countries.
• The fourth round will be held over a period of three consecutive days in Santiago, Chile and will build upon the success of the previous negotiating rounds held.  The First Round, which was held in August 2021, provided a meaningful introduction to the negotiations for both parties, while the Second Round was held in January 2022 and the third in December 2022.
• Negotiations will continue on issues such as market access; legal and institutional issues; sanitary and phytosanitary measures (SPS); rules of origin and origin procedures; trade facilitation; technical barriers to trade (TBT); trade remedies and competition policy.
• Among the benefits anticipated to emerge from the conclusion of the agreement are: lower import duties for locally produced goods entering the Chilean market, and elimination of known non-tariff barriers.
• Trinidad and Tobago also stands to gain from cheaper inputs for the manufacturing sector and more affordable consumer goods from Chile.
• Notably, both sides are also seeking to enhance cooperation in the areas of trade facilitation and electronic trade to facilitate trading online between the countries.

(Source: Trinidad and Tobago Guardian)