By Antonio de la Jara
SANTIAGO, Chile, Aug 30 (Reuters) - A small shipment of Chinese cars due to arrive in Chile on Wednesday sets the stage for an expected surge of imports made possible by a free-trade agreement that takes effect in October.
A shipment of 379 Corsa Sail cars made in a General Motors Corp. plant in Shanghai will arrive in the port of Valpariso. GM will sell the vehicles through its Chevrolet brand, which is already sold in Chile.
"Undoubtedly the signing of the free trade agreement has opened the possibility of importing different Chinese-made cars to Chile," said Augusto Contreras, general manager of the National Automobile Chamber of Commerce in Chile.
Chile, one of the world's most open economies, imports cars from all over the world, with General Motors (GM.N: Quote, Profile, Research) and Toyota Motor Corp. (7203.T: Quote, NEWS, Research) dominating the market.
France's Peugeot Citroen (PEUP.PA: Quote, Profile, Research), Korea's Hyundai Motor Co. (005380.KS: Quote, Profile, Research) and Japan's Nissan Motor Co. (7201.T: Quote, NEWS, Research) also have substantial market shares.
Chinese manufacturers until now have been left out of Chile's booming market for imported automobiles, which has been supported by strong consumer demand and an appreciating peso currency.
The free-trade agreement is the first China has signed with a non-Asian country. It provides for an immediate cut in import duties on 92 percent of Chilean exports to China, the South American country's most important trade partner after the United States.
It also reduces duties on Chinese machinery and automobiles entering Chile to zero from the current rate of 6 perc
..http://today.reuters.com/news/artic...IDST_0_TRADE-CHILE-CHINA.XML&rpc=66&type=qcna
SANTIAGO, Chile, Aug 30 (Reuters) - A small shipment of Chinese cars due to arrive in Chile on Wednesday sets the stage for an expected surge of imports made possible by a free-trade agreement that takes effect in October.
A shipment of 379 Corsa Sail cars made in a General Motors Corp. plant in Shanghai will arrive in the port of Valpariso. GM will sell the vehicles through its Chevrolet brand, which is already sold in Chile.
"Undoubtedly the signing of the free trade agreement has opened the possibility of importing different Chinese-made cars to Chile," said Augusto Contreras, general manager of the National Automobile Chamber of Commerce in Chile.
Chile, one of the world's most open economies, imports cars from all over the world, with General Motors (GM.N: Quote, Profile, Research) and Toyota Motor Corp. (7203.T: Quote, NEWS, Research) dominating the market.
France's Peugeot Citroen (PEUP.PA: Quote, Profile, Research), Korea's Hyundai Motor Co. (005380.KS: Quote, Profile, Research) and Japan's Nissan Motor Co. (7201.T: Quote, NEWS, Research) also have substantial market shares.
Chinese manufacturers until now have been left out of Chile's booming market for imported automobiles, which has been supported by strong consumer demand and an appreciating peso currency.
The free-trade agreement is the first China has signed with a non-Asian country. It provides for an immediate cut in import duties on 92 percent of Chilean exports to China, the South American country's most important trade partner after the United States.
It also reduces duties on Chinese machinery and automobiles entering Chile to zero from the current rate of 6 perc
..http://today.reuters.com/news/artic...IDST_0_TRADE-CHILE-CHINA.XML&rpc=66&type=qcna