Chile wants upcoming talks with the United States to include discussions on copper tariffs, Finance Minister Mario Marcel said on Monday.
His comments came as Chilean officials began a second round of meetings with the U.S. Trade Representative’s office in Washington.
The U.S. plans to impose 50% tariffs on copper imports starting August 1. Chile, the world’s largest copper exporter and top supplier of refined copper to the U.S., hopes the tariffs will be addressed within a broader trade agreement.
Marcel said Chile will ask for copper and wood exports to be part of the main trade discussions, not handled separately. He said excluding these key products would weaken the value of any agreement.
Speaking in a radio interview with Duna, Marcel said it was important for copper to be included in the broader commercial talks with the U.S., as it makes up a large part of Chile’s exports to the American market.
When asked if Chile would seek an exemption to the copper tariffs, Marcel said they prefer the issue be resolved through an agreement, not by requesting separate exceptions. He added that other countries have already secured carve-outs in their trade deals.
