A group of ex-Concertación foreign ministers expressed their “strong support” for the Senate to ratify the Comprehensive and Progressive Treaty Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP, better known as TPP11). In a statement they highlighted the economic benefits of the pact and its progressive character.
The declaration is signed by the former ministers Soledad Alvear, Mariano Fernandez, Carlos Figueroa, Alexander Foxley, Jose Miguel Insulza, Herald Munoz and Ignatius Walker.
“This treaty represents an opportunity for our country in a times of economic hardship, since it will allow around 3,000 tariff lines enjoy access benefits for thousands of Chilean products for export to markets of countries such as Japan, Canada and Mexico, among others, generating jobs and income -according to a study- of the order of US$ 1,180 million annually,” they said in the statement.
“The Treaty also contains provisions for access to public purchases, and measures to reduce barriers non-tariff”, they added.
They also revealed that “by virtue of the withdrawal of the United States from the Treaty, under the administration of Donald Trump, the CPTPP settled for 11 of the 12 countries original, leaving aside 20 standards introduced by the US, the majority on intellectual property”.
“The remaining countries proceeded to ensure a progressive profile of the agreement, promoting the chapters of gender equity, SMEs, anti-corruption, respect for environmental and labor regulations, also emphasizing rules on social responsibility business, identity and cultural diversity, and knowledge traditional”, complemented the former foreign ministers.
“In parallel, the TPP11 contemplates ‘accumulation of origin’; it is That is, that the assets of any of the party states are considered national, complying with the rules of origin, with the possibility of producing products adding value, thus opening new opportunities for our growers and exporters,” they continued.
In turn, they indicated that “the ratification of the CPTPP would allow Chile to continue on the successful path of opening up to the world, promoting exports with greater added value, rejecting protectionism, and linking with the thriving Asia-Pacific region, which is emerging as the great space of the 21st century”.
“It is no coincidence that key countries such as China, the United Kingdom, South Korea, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Costa Rica and Uruguay, among others, have presented formal letters requesting access to the block, or expressed public interest in this regard. “, they added.
For their part, they expressed their “conviction in the sense of concluding,as soon as possible, the negotiations for the modernization of the Association Agreement between Chile and the European Union (EU), which It also represents an important deepening of the opportunities for our country.
Let us remember that the TPP11 has generated division between the two government coalitions: Democratic Socialism and Approve Dignity. The first has been in favor of ratifying the treaty, while the second has been against it.
