MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Breaking News from Chile.

Headlines:
Ample trade surplus in Chile; Lamb, beef and pork for China; Massive blackout in Chile.

Ample trade surplus in Chile

Chile managed a trade surplus equivalent to 182 million US dollars during last October, with exports reaching 1,831 billion (13,9% increase over the same month in 2002), and imports, 1,649 billion US dollars, (33,83% jump over October 2002).

The official Chilean Central Bank release further states that overall trade surplus in the first ten months of 2003 now is 2,319 billion US dollars, with overseas sales totalling 17,232 billion US dollars (12,5% increase over same period in 2002) and imports 14,912 billion US dollars, which represent a 13% expansion.

Lamb, beef and pork for China

Hong Kong authorized this week the import of fresh, chilled and frozen lamb, beef and pork from Chile, reports the Chilean sanitary branch of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock.

Carlos Parra head of the sanitary office, SAG, said the authorization, "formalizes and makes official livestock trade with Hong Kong and opens the rest of the vast Chinese consumer market to Chilean produce".

Another good point about the Chinese market is the demand for products that are not saleable in other markets such as chicken and hog legs.

The first three containers, according to the agreement with SAG, will be retained, closely checked and liberated once tests are satisfactory.

"If no problems are detected in the first three, the following containers will not undergo the retention period", said Mr. Parra.

Apparently three Chinese companies have already registered for the purchase of Chilean lamb and mutton, added Mr. Parra.

Massive blackout in Chile

Authorities called Friday evening on the Chilean population to keep calm as the energy service is gradually restored following a blackout that left almost 70% of the country's territory without electricity.

Region including great areas of metropolitan Santiago.

The blackout hit Chile at 19:10 local time and extended from the Third to Seventy Region including great areas of metropolitan Santiago.

Since many Chilean telephone connections work with electricity, telecommunications were also severely affected.

Sergio Espejo Electricity and Fuel Superintendent said the anomaly occurred after the Nehuenco grid in mid Chile that connects with the rest of the country, went down.

"The system is gradually recovering, and the pace is quickening; once the service is restored an investigation will determine responsibilities, and accordingly actions and compensations if there is sufficient evidence", said Mr. Espejo.

The areas that first recovered were in the south of Chile, "while in the rest of the country the return has been more gradual to ensure the stability of the whole grid and avoid further collapses".

Francisco Vidal, Secretary General of the Chilean cabinet, called on the Santiago population to remain calm, since the "energy service is rapidly being restored", and "we have sufficient men on the streets to help ensure an orderly flow of pedestrians and vehicles". No main incidents were reported until Friday mid night.

"Our main priority now is to ensure the return of electricity; then we will search for the causes of the collapse of the system and finally responsibilities", said Mr. Vidal.

Chilean authorities flatly rejected that the cause of the blackout was a drop in the supply of natural gas.

"Supply of natural gas has been and is absolutely normal", emphasized Mr. Espejo. Argentina is the main supplier of natural gas for Chile's public utility companies.