Strategic Elements for Chile’s Trade Policy in the Asia-Pacific Basin
The Pacific Rim has been a central pillar of Chile's international integration since the return to democracy in 1990, supported by its active participation in APEC and an extensive network of trade agreements. This report analyzes the opportunities and challenges facing the country in this region in a context marked by rapid technological change and growing geopolitical tensions. A mixed methodology has been implemented, combining a documentary and statistical analysis of the 18 economies in the region, semi-structured interviews with negotiators, authorities, trade associations, and experts, and prospective exercises aimed at identifying structural trends, such as digitalization, geopolitical fragmentation, energy transition, and the reconfiguration of value chains. Based on this empirical and analytical foundation, the dynamics of bilateral trade, regulatory restrictions, new patterns of competition, and institutional capacities that condition Chile's integration have been evaluated.
Based on this diagnosis, a Strategic Framework for Latin American-Pacific Trade Policy is proposed, organized around three main axes: (1) Strengthening the export sector through active diversification towards India, ASEAN, and inland China, as well as through insertion into the digital economy by deepening frameworks such as the DEPA, the CPTPP, and the AP. (2) Developing new infrastructure that consolidates Chile as a logistics and connectivity platform between South America and the emerging markets of Southeast Asia and India, including modernized ports, bi-oceanic corridors, and green corridors. (3) Mitigation of geopolitical risks by strengthening a network of strategic partnerships, minilateral agreements with other middle powers on critical minerals and maritime security. As well as strengthening the role of the Pacific Alliance as a regional coordination mechanism to deploy interests with the different actors in the basin. With this approach, Chile could begin the path toward a more diversified and higher value-added integration.
