Trinidad and Tobago, Chile Sign Trade Agreement

• In a historic move to strengthen bilateral and commercial relations, Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) and Chile have signed a first-of-its-kind partial scope trade agreement. The signing took place at the T&T’s Ministry of Trade's head office in Port of Spain on April 25, 2025.
• The agreement is set to provide preferential market access for T&T’s energy and non-energy exports under 267 tariff lines into Chile. Through the agreement, 213 tariff lines for locally manufactured products will incur zero duties upon export to Chile. Additionally, products under 54 tariff lines will receive the same duty-free treatment after three years. The agreement also allows for reduced tariffs on products imported by T&T from Chile under 143 tariff lines.
• Trinidad’s Trade Minister, Paula Gopee-Scoon, applauded the agreement, which came after seven years of negotiation. She said former Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley’s official visit to Chile in May 2017 was the catalyst for the signing of the general framework agreement for negotiations. "This agreement reflects the shared understanding that in a world with increasing complexity, our co-operation is not a luxury but a necessity," she said at the signing ceremony.
• "We live in a time where global challenges require global solutions and, beyond that, meaningful partnerships. This agreement forms a key part of that solution in response to the current global economic climate, concerning current geopolitical relations and disruptions in trading arrangements. It seeks to diversify exports and strengthen commercial ties between the two countries."

(Source: Trinidad and Tobago Newsday)