2013 Latin American Cities Conferences: Santiago

CHILE: LEADING THROUGH TRADE

In collaboration with AmCham Chile, Bolsa de Comercio de Santiago, Cámara de Comercio de Santiago, David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies - Harvard University, Endeavor Chile, Harvard Club de Chile, Liderazgo Latam, ProChile and SOFOFA

On August 8, Americas Society/Council of the America and Chile’s Ministry of Finance held a conference focused on the pivotal role of trade in the Chilean economy, both regionally and globally.

Chile, the original “Latin Tiger” with its robust, continuous growth and open economy, stands as a model for growth in Latin America. In 2012, Chile’s GDP grew 5.6 percent, the largest amount of all Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) members. Chile counts over 20 trade agreements with over 50 countries, making it one of the top signers of FTAs in the world. In 2013, Chile is also expected to lead the OECD with a 4.9 percent GDP growth rate.

In 2012, Chile became the second largest recipient of foreign direct investment (FDI) in Latin America after Brazil. While Latin America showed the highest regional FDI growth rate at 7.2 percent, Chile’s FDI grew 52.7 percent over the previous year, reaching $26.4 billion in FDI.

The Pacific Alliance, launched in 2012, hopes to invigorate Chile’s economic momentum regionally and globally. The Alliance—which also counts Colombia, Mexico, and Peru as members—has dropped tariffs on 90 percent of goods  and has committed to eliminating the remaining 10 percent in the next few years. The Alliance will consolidate a group of countries that share open economies and a desire to pivot to the Asia-Pacific region, the current growth engine of the global economy. Together, the countries of the Alliance account for 50 percent of trade in the region and almost 40 percent of its GDP.

Chile is also part of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a trade deal among 12 major economies in the Americas and Asia-Pacific region. Together these countries produce 40 percent of global GDP. It will be the largest FTA to date, bringing together economies representing $21 trillion in GDP if Japan is included.

Speakers:

• Felipe Larraín, Minister of Finance, Chile
• Alfredo Moreno, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chile (Download his presentation)
• Luis Guillermo Plata, CEO, The Cornerstone Group; Former Minister of Trade, Industry and Tourism of Colombia
• Alicia Bárcena, U.N. Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC)
• Jorge Rosenblut, President, Endesa Chile
• Philip Sanders, Chile Bureau Chief, Bloomberg News
• Susan Segal, President and CEO, Americas Society/Council of the Americas

Event Information: Andres Sada | asada@as-coa.org | 1-212-277-8369
COA Corporate Membership Information: Monica Vieira | mvieira@as-coa.org | 1-212-277-8344
Sponsorship Opportunities: Ana Gilligan | agilligan@as-coa.org | 1-212-277-8364
Press Inquiries: Adriana La Rotta | alarotta@as-coa.org | 1-212-277-8384