Chile has expressed confidence that negotiations on the India–Chile Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) could reach conclusion by the end of 2025.

The development marks an important step in deepening trade ties between the two nations, building on nearly two decades of sustained economic engagement.

In an interview with ANI, Chile’s Ambassador to India, Juan Angulo, stated that both countries share strong values, mutual interests and a forward-looking vision for cooperation.

He underlined the significance of the CEPA in expanding opportunities across a wide range of sectors, reflecting the increasing convergence of economic priorities between Santiago and New Delhi.

Bilateral trade between the two countries stood at approximately USD 3.6 billion in the fiscal year 2024–25, driven primarily by India’s imports of copper, pulp, fruit, and wine, and Chile’s growing demand for Indian vehicles, pharmaceuticals, engineering goods and textiles.

Ambassador Angulo mentioned that the two sides aim to complete the ongoing negotiation rounds by the close of 2025. “The idea was to complete the rounds of negotiations by the end of the year — that was our ambition. We hope to achieve that, and if not, our good faith in the process remains intact,” he affirmed, expressing optimism regarding the negotiation track.

The third round of CEPA negotiations was conducted in Santiago from 27 to 30 October 2025. The discussions covered an extensive array of topics, including trade in goods and services, investment promotion, rules of origin, intellectual property rights, trade barriers, technical standards and critical minerals.

According to India’s Ministry of Commerce, this latest engagement represented one of the most comprehensive exchanges so far in the trade dialogue.

India and Chile began their trade pact journey with a Framework Agreement signed in 2005. This evolved into a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) a year later, which was subsequently expanded in 2016 to include a larger list of traded goods.

The CEPA now under discussion builds upon that foundation, aiming to broaden market access and foster investment collaborations across emerging domains such as technology, energy transition and sustainable mining.

Negotiations, which began with the first round in New Delhi in May 2025, have expanded across more than twenty thematic chapters. Ambassador Angulo noted that as discussions progress and chapters close, both sides are gaining greater clarity on the pace and scope of the final agreement. He emphasised that Chile and India are working towards a balanced and mutually beneficial outcome that strengthens both economies.

Highlighting Chile’s unique strengths as a producer, Angulo said his country is positioned to become a dependable partner in ensuring India’s food and energy security. Chile’s renowned agricultural output, including fruits, fish and wines, along with its reserves of lithium and copper, play vital roles in sectors critical to India’s supply chains, from battery manufacturing to clean energy.

“The scope for expanding trade is enormous. Chile can be one of the main providers of food security for India. We produce high-value, nutritious products that meet all sanitary standards — and we are eager to serve India’s growing and sophisticated market,” he observed, underscoring the complementarity between the two economies.

India’s Ministry of Commerce has also noted that India’s growing commercial engagement with Chile and Peru represents an integral part of New Delhi’s strategy to build stronger partnerships across Latin America.

This approach aligns with India’s wider vision of developing mutually beneficial, comprehensive and diversified economic cooperation frameworks that address emerging global priorities, including sustainable growth and secure supply chains.

Based On ANI Report