CHILE AND US TO SIGN FREE TRADE PACT IN JUNE

摘要

Chile and the USA are due to sign a free trade agreement on June 6 that will lead to the lifting of duties on the South American country's copper cathodes. The deal, which was agreed in December 2002 after two years of talks, will be signed in Miami by US Trade Representative Robert Zoellick and Chilean Foreign Minister Soledad Alvear, the two governments announced last week. At present, Chilean copper cathodes exported to the USA are hit by a 1 percent duty and this will be cut by half in the first year of the treaty taking effect and eliminated altogether in the second year.