MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Trade restrictions, main point of agenda when Cristina Fernandez visits Chile
Ambassador Zaldivar will take the first steps to overcome the dispute Santiago media reports increasing disappointment in the Chilean government and private sector with the latest batch of Argentine measures to restrict imports and want the issue ‘top of the agenda’ when President Cristina Fernandez visits Chile at the end of the month.
Members of congress from the ruling coalition and the opposition have requested President Sebastián Piñera to make an official protest through Ambassador Adolfo Zaldívar to Argentine Secretary of Commerce Guillermo Moreno.
”We are going to invite the ambassador to give us his opinion on the lack of reciprocity between Chile and Argentina in a special joint session of the Economy, Agriculture and Foreign Affairs committees” said Gonzalo Arenas president of the Economy committee.
“This has led to disloyal competition because of the distortions in the Argentine market which affect Chilean exports” added the Chilean lawmaker.
Congress members concerns refer to the farming sector and steel.
“The protectionist’ policies generate not only generate disappointment but also attack free markets and free international trade principles” said Arenas who added that “we should begin thinking in reciprocity measures”.
Lawmakers have asked Foreign Affairs minister Alfredo Moreno that the issue “be treated as fundamental in the bilateral agenda” to be addressed when President Cristina Fernandez visits her peer Sebastian Piñera at the end of the month.
Chilean Ambassador Zaldívar also confirmed that he will be informing Casa Rosada of the ‘inconveniences” of the latest trade measures, (which became effective February first) since they are contrary to the production integration the two countries are intent in advancing.
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Read all commentsIt just seems to me as if argentina already thinks she owns you, perhaps she is making you oven ready for her next target,
Feb 09th, 2012 - 02:28 pm 0does she have a claim on you,??
Briton, unfortunately we are used to this kind of behaviour from argentine governments, so no surprise there from over the Andes. I just wonder about naivety of our politicians, they really thought that their current step towards Argentina would improve the relations with the neighbour, but Argentina does not even doubt a day to show her “gratitude”, slapping our face with this imposed barrier.
Feb 09th, 2012 - 05:00 pm 0I am especially dissapointed about the current conservative government we have, as I thought they would apply a more logic and consequent policy, but they are really stumbling from disaster to disaster. Never thought I'd say this, but the Concertacion was more consequent and loyal to our national policies. I guess, LAN still did not get back their right to fly Aeroparque, so this whole deal was a fraud. I feel ashamed for my representatives and their limited diginity.
The “Malvinas” cause is not ours, as we do not urge Argentina to stop flights to Lima (Peru), just because we have a territorial dispute with them (Imagine the laughter it would cause).
I simply cannot understand stupidity of our leaders...
PS: We are not afraid of the claims Argentina might have on us, but rather afraid of our politicians granting them what they ask for!
#2 bring some whine from Chile in your next trip to Canada and tell us how much whine you can get into the country without paying 100% tax, compare that to Argentina's restrictions and you will all see how lucky we are that Argentina doesn't yet charge as much tax on goods as Canada and Chile pay the tax no problem since the liquor store shelves are always jamed packed with Chilean whine, I think the real object of this article is to divide public opinion in SouthAmerica and possibly to pin LatinAmericans against eachother, it worked in the Middle East, divide and conquer is being around longer then the fights started by the strategy, Libya still dealing with british terrorists.
Feb 09th, 2012 - 05:24 pm 0Commenting for this story is now closed.
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