Today, the Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development, met with Alberto van Klaveren, Chile's Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Claudia Sanhueza, Undersecretary of International Economic Relations. This meeting happened during the Minister's trade mission to Chile.
During the meeting, Minister Ng reflected on 25 years of the Canada-Chile Free Trade Agreement, celebrated in 2022, and congratulated the Minister and Undersecretary on their recent appointments. Minister Ng, Minister van Klaveren, and Undersecretary Sanhuezare affirmed their commitment to inclusive and rules-based international trade. The minister also congratulated Minister van Klaveren and Undersecretary Sanhueza on Chile's ratification of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), which enhances both countries' strong and growing trade and investment relationship. The CPTPP promotes rules based trade to the benefit of Canadian businesses and workers, and is one of the highest standard trade agreements in the world, setting the standard for trade agreements into the future.
Minister Ng, Minister van Klaveren, and Undersecretary Sanhueza also discussed the collaboration between both governments on gender equality, including under the Canada-Chile Free Trade Agreement Gender chapter and Canada's Feminist Foreign Policy. Minister Ng also thanked Chile for successfully chairing the Inclusive Trade Action Group and Global Trade and Gender Arrangement in 2022.
Minister Ng, Minister van Klaveren, and Undersecretary Sanhueza, affirmed their commitment to the multilateral trading system and progress at the WTO in lead up to the 13th WTO Ministerial Conference, including by cooperation in the Ottawa Group.
Ministers Ng and van Klaveren signed a Joint Statement highlighting the bond shared by Canada and Chile, built on trust, mutual respect and shared values. The statement agrees that Canada and Chile will continue working together to develop green and sustainable economies through inclusive international trade that works for everyone.
