OECD Trade Policy Papers
This series is designed to make available to a wider readership selected trade policy studies prepared for use within the OECD.
NB. No. 1 to No. 139 were released under the previous series title OECD Trade Policy Working Papers.
- ISSN: 18166873 (online)
- https://doi.org/10.1787/18166873
Facilitating Trade and Structural Adjustment Chile
Experiences in Non-Member Economies
This paper is the first of four country case studies which is a part of a broader research
programme addressing trade and structural adjustment issues in non-member economies which was
conducted as a follow-up to Trade and Structural Adjustment: Embracing Globalisation (OECD, 2005)
which identified policies for successful trade-related structural adjustment. This paper studies the trade
liberalisation experience of Chile from 1973 onward.
The report consists of 5 main parts; Part 1 provides the introduction, part 2 looks at the trade
liberalisation in Chile which was implemented in three phases, (1) initial trade reforms (1973-84), (2) trade
reform after a temporary policy reversal(1985-89) and (3) after 1990. Part 3 looks at the evolution and
structure of exports and imports, and Part 4 looks at sectoral developments in the copper industry, agrofood
industry, wood and wooden products industry and the textiles and clothing industry. Part 5 concludes
with lessons learnt. The experience of Chile shows that trade reform has been essential for realigning the
incentive structures in Chile. A stable macroeconomic environment, trade reform starting with the
elimination of quantitative restrictions, introduction of flat tariffs, coherent exchange rate policy, sound
institutional framework, rule of law, mild promotion of exports, use of foreign capital, and relatively
flexible labour market policies have been important factors in Chili's successful trade liberalisation
experience.
Also available in: French
Keywords: forestry and wood sector, tariffs, macroeconomic instability, agro-food industry, structural equation modelling, trade, liberalisation, Chile, export promotion, social and labour policies, liberalization, exchange rate policy, unilateral tariffs, textile and clothing industry, regional trade agreements, import-substitution, copper industry
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