Pro-Chile, the Chilean government export promotion board, said on Tuesday that it would organize five trade fairs in China next year since Chile and China are expected to sign a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) soon.

A fisheries fair is scheduled for China's southern city of Guangzhou, while the Wine Fair planned for Shanghai and the Tourism Fair for Beijing and Shanghai. Locations for the Food and Hotel Fair and the Food Fair have not yet been announced.

Pro-Chile organized 41 trade missions in China in 2005 and helped to organize three trade fairs as well as wine, salmon and fruit tastings in Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong. Products from 1,000 Chilean companies were presented at the 200 different activities Pro-Chile promoted.

Pro-Chile said China was the largest Asian buyer of Chilean products in 2005, consuming nearly 2.2 billion US dollars worth of goods, or 11.8 percent of Chile's exports. Japan was the second with over 2.1 billion US dollars worth of goods, or 11.5 percent of its exports.

Tariffs will be lifted on 92 percent of goods from both countries under the Chile-China FTA, which has yet to be signed.

Pro-Chile will promote the following tariff-free goods among others: vegetables, fish oil, poultry, cherries, peaches and nectarines, cheese, chocolate, tomato paste and wooden boards.

The promotion board also promised to work out a series of plans to boost small- and medium-sized enterprises with the help of the coming trade pact.

The Chile-China FTA is expected to be signed during the annual APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Busan, South Korea, on Nov. 18-19.

Source: Xinhua