Nine questions with their respective answers regarding the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (TTP-11). A compiled. That was what ProChile sent to the commercial offices of the world, by way of context, with what has come out in the press regarding said agreement for internal use.
And it is that the TTP11 lives key moments. Without going any further, next Tuesday, October 11, by agreement of the Senate, the project will be voted on in the Upper House, an initiative that divides the two souls that make up the Executive: Democratic Socialism and I Approve Dignity. You need 26 votes.
Under that context, On September 27, a document entitled “story” was written, prepared in the Undersecretariat for International Economic Relations (Subrei), undersecretary directed by José Miguel Ahumada, the same one who has been in controversy for his “revisionist” speeches of Free Trade Agreements (FTA). But the document was requested and then sent by ProChile to the commercial offices of our country in the world.
The text, to which he had access Radio Bio Bio, details step by step what the TTP11 consists of and the moment the process is going through in the National Congress. “This treaty is in the Senate and what we seek is to ensure the maximum strategic autonomy for Chile in case it advances in the Upper House,” he begins by detailing.
Then he adds that “as is known, the Government, through the Political Committee, has determined to carry out the side letter strategy that the Foreign Ministry had already advanced through the Undersecretary of International Economic Relations (SUBREI). This undersecretary is working on it so that the corresponding authorities determine with greater tools, safeguarding the interests of our country”.
From then on, nine questions are answered, the first of which is what the side letters mean, the government’s strategy to carry out the TTP11. “The side letters are an exchange of notes, bilateral, that have the character of an international treaty, to reach an agreement or understanding on any norm or norms of the respective plurilateral treaty”, states the document. So far, Chile has sent 10 side letters to Australia, Brunei, Canada, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam.
After that, he deepens that there is still no date to have a result with the side letters, but that “it will be reported as soon as it is finished, considering that it depends on each country and its formalities. It should be noted that New Zealand signed five side letters, with Australia, Brunei, Malaysia, Peru and Vietnam in 2018”.
The text continues giving an account of why the Government decided on this strategy. “We are convinced that we must take charge of the criticism and international debate on this treaty thinking of the best for Chile in case it advances in the Senate,” details the compilation.
Along with the above, it highlights that President Boric’s government program promised “to request exemption from the application of the dispute settlement mechanism in ad-hoc international courts, which is precisely what this Ministry is doing, through the Subrei, with the announced side letter mechanism”.
It is also specified that the economic situation is an international phenomenon and that “The Government is doing its job in the Finance and Economy portfolios, such as in the Pro Investment agenda, which is key to stimulating the growth of the economy”.
Next, it exemplifies that “the plan ‘Invest in Chile’ -which the President launched a few days ago- includes tax incentives for private investment, improvements in access to state financing, promotion of foreign investment and public-private partnerships” and that what is sought is “to maintain and deepen Chile’s commercial insertion in the world, but always with a better position for our country.”
Added to the above, it is explained that the side letters are a “common practice of plurilateral agreements” and that Chile already has with some countries for other agreements such as public purchases and alcohol trade with Australia and on geographical indications with Japan, among others.
Finally, the document ends with a question if it is more important for the Government to advance in the TPP or in the agreement with the European Union. Which is answered as follows: “Each one is in totally different stages. For this administration, the objective is clear and we aim at the diversification of our exports in three dimensions: destination markets, products and exporting companies with a strong focus on SMEs. That is why we are also working to open a market as important as India, promoting and supporting, together with other government entities, the diversification of production and exports through the emergence of the lithium and green hydrogen industry, and strengthening trade relations in Latin America, which is where Chilean SMEs export the most”.
It should be noted that although the Foreign Ministry assures that it was not a “minute” they did recognize that ProChile requested it as a definition to coordinate common speeches in different latitudes on the matter in question.
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