Sara Larrain of Chile Sustentable and Maude Barlow; Bolivia, April 2010.
A Government of Canada media release late today states, “Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Sebastian Piñera, President of Chile, today witnessed the signing of a more modern and expanded Canada-Chile Free Trade Agreement that will help deepen commercial ties between the two countries.”
Financial services chapter
The release highlights, “The amended agreement will include a financial services chapter…” iPolitics notes, “Both Scotiabank and RBC are already active in Chile and should stand to benefit from the increased market access — though neither could be reached for comment.”
Procurement
MetroNews notes, “Fifteen years ago, former Liberal prime minister Jean Chretien signed the first free-trade deal in the region with the Chilean government. The Conservatives are now moving to enhance the deal, making it match recent agreements abroad that include more items, including procurement…”
Dispute settlement
And CBC adds, “The trade deal’s chapters on dispute settlement, customs procedures and government procurement were also updated and Harper and Pinera also agreed to finalize remaining steps to open their markets to beef and beef products as soon as possible.”
It’s unclear from the news reports whether these changes are now in place, or whether – and presumably/ hopefully this is the case – the ‘expanded’ of the trade agreement still needs to be ratified by the parliaments of each of the countries.
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Trans-Pacific Partnership
The government’s media release also notes, “While in Santiago, Prime Minister Harper also thanked President Piñera for his country’s support of Canada’s bid to join trade talks on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).” iPolitics reports, “‘We have a common world vision. Stephen likes to talk about like-minded countries, and it’s true, we’re two countries that have common values, principles, and vision, and that helps with co-operation on all fronts,’ Piñera said. ‘I want to thank President Piñera for Chile’s strong and longstanding support in our efforts to join the [Trans-Pacific] partnership,’ Harper later added.”
For Council of Canadians analysis on the TPP, please go to http://canadians.org/TPP.
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The Council of Canadians and our Chilean allies
We have been working with our friends and allies in Chile on four main issues:
1- The Ontario Teachers Pension Plan’s ownership of privatized Chilean water utilities, http://canadians.org/blog/?p=9407.
2- Our common opposition to water privatization and water markets. In April 2011, we released an English-language version of the report Conflicts Over Water in Chile: Between Human Rights and Market Rules, edited by Sara Larrain and Colombina Schaeffer of the Chilean non-governmental organization, Chile Sustentable, http://canadians.org/blog/?p=6411.
3- Shared concerns about the possibility that Transelec – which is owned by a Canadian consortium led by Brookfield Asset Management, in partnership with the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and the British Columbia Investment Management Corporation – may build the destructive transmission lines from the controversial Patagonia dams. To help build awareness of this, this March we released the report Chilean Patagonia in the Balance: Dams, Mines and the Canadian Connection by Alex Latta and Kari Williams, http://canadians.org/blog/?p=14595.
4- Opposition to the Barrick Gold Pascua Lama mine on the Chile-Argentina border, http://canadians.org/blog/?p=13760 and http://canadians.org/blog/?p=2948. The Globe and Mail also reported today, “Canada is already the country with the largest investment in Chile’s mining industry.” The issue of Canadian mining companies in Chile and Latin America will be tackled by our ‘Shout Out Against Mining Injustice’ this coming June 1-2 in Vancouver, http://canadians.org/shoutout.
More soon.
