Abu Dhabi [UAE], December 27 (ANI/WAM): The UAE continues to expand its network of economic and investment partnerships with strategic markets around the world, strengthening investment flows, opening new horizons for trade, and supporting sustainable growth objectives.
The UAE is seeking to diversify its economic partners and enhance cooperation with promising emerging markets across various regions, including Latin America. In 2025, a number of Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements (CEPAs) with Latin American countries entered into force as part of the UAE’s efforts to boost trade and mutual investment.
Among the most notable agreements is the CEPA with the Republic of Costa Rica, which came into effect on 1 April 2025. The agreement aims to eliminate or reduce customs duties, facilitate trade in goods and services, and open broader investment opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises.
The CEPA with the Republic of Chile also recently entered into force in November 2025, following its signing in July of the previous year. The agreement seeks to enhance non-oil trade and facilitate mutual investments in strategic sectors, including infrastructure, energy, logistics services, food security, and technology. Negotiations are also continuing to conclude comprehensive economic agreements with other countries in the region, including the Republic of Peru.
Karla Flores, Director of InvestChile, said that the entry into force of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement between the UAE and Chile represents a qualitative leap in economic relations between the two countries.
She noted that the agreement will help accelerate interest from UAE companies and sovereign wealth funds in investment opportunities available in Chile, while paving the way for expanding UAE foreign direct investment in the coming phase.
In statements to the Emirates News Agency (WAM), she said the UAE is a key economic partner for Chile within the Gulf region, adding that the agreement builds on a solid institutional foundation that includes the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement in force since 2023 and the Customs Cooperation Agreement implemented since 2024, both of which enhance investor confidence and support the business environment.
She added that the agreement is not limited to reducing customs tariffs, but provides an integrated framework to promote investment and develop value chains, in addition to establishing mechanisms for dialogue between governments and the private sector, thereby supporting the transition toward long-term investment partnerships with tangible economic and developmental impact. (ANI/WAM)