(WIPO code: CL) (latest review March 2024)

by VILLASECA ABOGADOS, Intellectual Property Attorneys, Santiago

General Information

Continental area

756,700 sq. km.

Antarctic area

1,250,000 sq. km.

Total area

2,006,700 sq. km.

Population

19,493,184 (2023).

Capital

Santiago de Chile with 6.903 million inhabitants (2023).

Language

Spanish.

Currency

Pesos.

Foreign trade (2022)

Total imports: U.S.$ 104,529.6 million;
Total exports: U.S.$ 98,548.5 million.

Political division

15 Regions.

General Remarks

Chile is located along the western seaboard of South America. It is bounded in the north by Peru, in the south by the Antarctica, in the east by Argentina and Bolivia and in the west by the Pacific Ocean. Chile has recently signed Free Trade Agreements with the European Union, the United States of America, Korea, EFTA (European Free Trade Association), Australia, Canada, China, Mexico, Japan, Central America, Colombia, Peru, Argentina, Bolivia, Cuba, Ecuador, Venezuela, Malaysia, Türkiye, India and Panama. It is one of the founder countries of the Latin American Free Trade Association (LAFTA) and now is a special associate of the Mercado Común del Sur – South American Common Market – (MERCOSUR) with Brazil and Argentina, among others, and is also an associate member of the Andean Community with Perú, Colombia and Ecuador inter-alliance. Chile is also part of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), with Japan, New Zealand, Malaysia and other countries of the South Pacific zone.

In the last twenty years, Chile has become a widely open economy without any substantial restrictions to the foreign trade and a low custom tariff of 6% average. Presently, a very relevant percentage of the total exports of the country belongs to different sectors, balancing the copper exports, the former principal product.

In the agricultural field, Chile has also become an active producer, especially due to its length, 4,300 km, which allows different climates and a great variety of products.

Also, and because of its privileged position to the Pacific Ocean, the exploitation of the sea resources became an important source of income. The same reason is why Chile is considered as the path to the import and export products between the South Pacific area and the eastern seaboard of Latin America.

Special remarks on intellectual property: as of March 2012, notarizations/legalizations are no longer required for filings of applications and assignments recorded before the National Institute of Industrial Property, but are still required for all other authorities.