Secretary Blinken Travels to Chile to Advance our Enduring Partnership

Office of the Spokesperson

On October 4, Secretary Blinken will travel to Santiago, Chile to meet with President Gabriel Boric and Foreign Minister Antonia Urrejola to discuss democratic governance, bilateral opportunities for trade and investment, regional security, migration management, climate change, and social inclusion.  Secretary Blinken will also visit Chile’s National Electric Coordinator’s control room, where U.S.-owned companies advance our mutual goal of increasing reliance on renewable energy sources.  The Secretary will also meet with a group of alumni of the U.S.-sponsored Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative to discuss how their innovations spur economic growth and positive change in their communities.

Strong Partners for 200 Years

• The United States works closely with Chile to promote security, prosperity, and good governance within our hemisphere and across the globe.
• During the last 200 years, the United States and Chile have formed a deep and enduring relationship based on shared values. We take pride in working closely with Chile to promote security, prosperity, human rights, and democratic governance within our hemisphere and across the globe.
• Throughout 2023, we will commemorate everything we have achieved together and the challenges we have overcome while also looking forward to opportunities to continue to strengthen U.S.-Chile collaboration as regional leaders and “partners for a better future.” We will also recognize the 20th anniversary of the signing of the U.S.-Chile Free Trade Agreement, and 68th anniversary of the Fulbright Program in Chile, the oldest Fulbright Program in Latin America.
• The U.S.-Chile Council on Science, Technology, and Innovation has expanded bilateral scientific collaboration and public-private partnerships to boost both economies. The Council has since been replicated in the United States with the Chilean Embassy and USG inter-agency partners.
• The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Department of Energy have jointly invested more than $1 billion in astronomy facilities in Chile. The NSF also invests more than $400 million in Antarctic research through the U.S. Antarctica Program, including joint research activities with the Chilean Antarctic Institute (INACH).
• Through an ongoing partnership between the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention and the Chilean Ministry of Health, Ministry of Science, and Institute of Public Health. The CDC provides over $1.5 million in funding in Chile to support vaccine effectiveness, border health, genomic sequencing, and address respiratory diseases.  In 2022, the CDC and the Ministry of Health launched the Field Epidemiology Training Program in Chile to equip epidemiologists with the necessary skills to collect, analyze, and interpret data and contribute to evidence-based decisions.
• We support social and economic inclusion through our Academy for Women Entrepreneurs program, Agricultural Accelerator and Exchange Program for Under-Served Women in Drought-Stricken Areas, and an Immigrant Women Entrepreneurs program. These programs promote entrepreneurship and support business and network expansion
• The United States and Chile play important regional leadership roles combating climate change. Chile tookover the COP25 presidency in 2019, hosted the Clean Energy Ministerial in June 2021, and launched the “Americas for the Protection of the Ocean” coalition at the 9th Summit of the Americas in June 2022 – all great examples of Chile’s leadership role.

Expanding our Robust Economic Relationship

• Our robust economic relationship has brought prosperity and benefits to both countries. The United States remains Chile’s top source of foreign direct investment.  S. investments span a variety of sectors, benefitting a broad spectrum of Chile’s economy and society.

• Bilateral trade in goods has more than quadrupled since we signed our Free Trade Agreement in 2003 and stands as a cornerstone of our outstanding and prosperous $32.8 billion trade relationship in goods.