A FREE trade agreement (FTA) with Chile is possible this year after the initial round of talks this month, an official of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said.
“And I would say that in terms of progress, we are on track to conclude the free trade agreement, or we call it actually the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (Cepa) this year,” DTI Undersecretary Allan Gepty, who went to Chile recently for a week-long negotiation, told reporters Tuesday, July 29, 2025.
Gepty explained that Cepa involves several factors such as intellectual property, competition, services, investments, financial services, digital trade, customs procedure, and trade facilitation, among others.
“And the good thing about this FTA is that this will be a big milestone for the Philippines, as this will be our first Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement with a Latin American country. So, basically, this will expand our FTA network, and this will also support our direction to diversify the market and create opportunities for our businesses,” he said.
Gepty said the next round of talks is scheduled in the first week of October, to be held in the Philippines.
To date, the Philippines’ exports to Chile include personal care products such as deodorant, while Chile exports to the Philippines processed food items such as wines, salmon and meat products, he said.
The trade official said there are complementarities in terms of trading with Chile, noting that the Philippines also aims to offer services sector.
“So therefore, (this is) a good opportunity for our businesses and local stakeholders to look at Chile as an alternative market, if not a main market,” he added. / PNA