Chile

Political relations

Chile is one of our main partners in South America. This strong bilateral relationship is founded on collective memory, the welcoming of Chilean refugees during the dictatorship and shared values. Our countries have a long history of close friendship and active cooperation. The official visits by President Sebastián Piñera to Paris on 8 October 2018 and 6 September 2021 gave new momentum to the bilateral relationship. This partnership is built on particularly rich, well established trade cooperation, especially in the sectors of infrastructure (including transport), mining and energy, as well as traditional cooperation in education, research, science and culture, human rights and the environment. In recent years, we have seen this dynamism extend to new sectors such as green energy, technological innovation and tourism. Chile is also a historic partner in terms of innovative financing for development. Today, the country participates in initiatives spearheaded by France, such as the Alliance for Multilateralism and the Alliance for the Conservation of Rainforests.

Economic relations

Chile is our third biggest trade partner in Latin America after Brazil and Mexico. Almost 280 French subsidiaries operate in Chile, in diverse key sectors (electricity, water, transport, aeronautics, construction, roadworks, electrical equipment). They employ around 70,000 people and generate revenue of over €7 billion. France is the 13th biggest investor in Chile and it continues to develop projects (26 identified by Invest Chile in 2021, mainly in infrastructure and renewable energy). The public health crisis has not noticeably affected our businesses, with the exception of the Santiago Airport concession and the tourism/hospitality sectors, nor has it weakened the country’s macroeconomic fundamentals. Chile is one of the 40 countries named by France as a “priority destination for investment” in 2020. Our trade reached record levels in 2019, with a total of €2.6 billion and a strong surplus for France due to the delivery of Airbus aircraft, accounting for 54% of our exports. However, our trade fell by a third in 2020 to €1.7 billion and our balance fell into deficit once again, with a 35% decrease in French exports in the aeronautics and automotive sectors. Our exports are mainly in the pharmaceutical, cosmetics, perfume, automotive, agrifood and electrical equipment sectors. Our main imports come from the copper (54% of our purchases in 2020; Chile is our primary supplier), agrifood and wood industries. In 2020, France became Chile’s biggest customer and fourth-largest European supplier.