• by IPS Correspondents (lima)
• Tuesday, November 08, 1994
• Inter Press Service

LIMA, Nov 08 (IPS) - A Peruvian delegation in Santiago began talks Tuesday on a proposed free trade zone with Chile. A Foreign Ministry spokesman said the group would present lists of products that would fall under different tariff classifications.

Tariff disagreements led to Peru's suspension from the Andean Pact, and the South American nation now hopes to substitute participation in the subregional integration group with a series of bilateral accords with each country in the region.

The talks are an extension of negotiations in Lima last September that sought to establish technical definitions for the planned agreement, according to a spokesman for the Ministry of Industry, Integration and International Trade Negotiations.

"The next step is to exchange lists of products that will be exempt from the agreement, those that will have reduced tariffs immediately and those that will be subject to a linear and automatic tariff reduction programme," he explained.

The official said the lists would include each country's primary export products: raw materials, basic products and finished goods.

"The list of products for immediate tariff reduction will obviously be based on the preferences currently established under the Partial Agreement reached last year between Peru and Chile in the framework of the Latin American Integration Association (Aladi)," he said.

He added that the rates and deadlines for the progressive tariff reduction schedule have not yet been established.

According to the Ministry spokesman, the delegation that arrived in Chile Monday included Peruvian Vice Minister Pablo de la Flor and Integration Director Eduardo Brandes.

© Inter Press Service (2014) — All Rights Reserved. Original source: Inter Press Service

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