WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/REG165/5 
18 January 2005 
 
 (05-0210) 
Committee on Regional Trade Agreements Original:   Spanish 
  
 
FREE TRADE AGREEMENT BETWEEN CHILE AND EL SALVADOR 
 
SERVICES ASPECTS
 
 
Communication from the Parties  
 
 
 The following communication, dated 14 January 2005, is being circulated at the request of the delegations of Chile and El Salvador.  
____________ 
 
 
I. BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON THE AGREEMENT  
1. Membership and dates of signature,  ratification and entry into force 
 During the Second Summit of the Americas held in Santiago de Chile in April 1998, the 
Presidents of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala,  Honduras, Nicaragua and Chile agreed on the need 
to strengthen trade relations among their countries inter alia  through a trade agreement.  
  The government representatives of the Centra l American countries and Chile accordingly 
decided on a work programme for the negotiation of a free trade agreement.  The programme 
provided that the legal aspects of the agreement would be jointly negotia ted between the Central 
American countries and Chile but that its provisions would apply, on a bilateral basis, between Chile 
and each individual Central American country.  As regards market access, it was decided that both the 
tariff elimination programme and the specific rules of  origin would be negotia ted bilaterally between 
each Central American country and Chile.  
 The Free Trade Agreement between Central Am erica and Chile and its Bilateral Protocol 
signed between the Republics of El Salvador and Chile form an accord that applies bilaterally 
between El Salvador and Chile.  The Bilate ral Protocol was signed on 30 November 2000. 
  In El Salvador, the Agreement was ratified by  Legislative Decree No. 567 of 4 October 2001, 
published in Official Journal No. 218, Volume No. 353, of 19 November 2001, and entered into force 
on 1 June 2002 following the exchange of the corr esponding instruments of ratification in accordance 
with Article 21.03 of the Agreement.   In Chile, the Agreement was enacted by Supr eme Decree No. 127, published in the Official 
Journal of 1 June 2002, and entered into force on that date following the corresponding exchange of 
instruments between the Parties.     WT/REG165/5 
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 2. Type of agreement 
  
 Article 1.01 of the Free Trade Agreement be tween Central America and Chile lays the 
groundwork for establishing and implementing a free tr ade area in conformity with Article XXIV of 
the GATT 1994 and Article V of the GATS. 
 
 The Agreement is divided into seven parts, s ub-divided into 21 chapters.  The seven parts are 
as follows:  General Part;  Trade in Goods;  Techni cal Barriers to Trade;  Investment, Services and 
Related Matters;  Competition Policy;  Govern ment Procurement;  and Administrative and 
Institutional Provisions.  
 
 The Bilateral Protocol to the Agreement betw een the Republics of El Salvador and Chile  
contains Annexes pertaining to the tariff elimin ation programme;  export subsidies on agricultural 
goods;  specific rules of origin;  and matter s relating to cross-border trade in services. 
 2. Scope 
 The Agreement covers the four modes of ser vice delivery established in Article I.2 of the 
GATS.  The Chapter on Cross-Border Trade in Serv ices (Chapter 11) deals with cross-border supply, 
consumption abroad and presence of natural pe rsons (modes 1, 2 and 4) and the Chapter on 
Investment (Chapter 10) with commercial presence (mode 3).  
 The Chapter on Cross-Border Trade in Servi ces establishes a framework of principles and 
rules for regulating trade in services, applicable to all measures concerning trade in services adopted 
by a Party, with the exception of air services, subsidies or grants provided by the State and 
government services or functions;  financial ser vices;  and procurement by a Party or a State 
enterprise. 
 
 Under Article 11.03 on national treatment, each Party is required to accord to cross-border services and service providers of the other Party treat ment no less favourable than that it accords to its 
own like services and like service providers.  Formally identical or formally different treatment is considered to be less favourable if it modifies th e conditions of competition between like cross-border 
services. 
 
 The principles of national treatment, most-favoured-nation treatment and local presence apply, subject to the limitations and conditions specified in the legislation of each Party.  The Parties 
may not increase the non-conformity of their ex isting measures, and no am endment to any such 
measure may decrease the conformity of the measure. 
 
 Each of the Parties maintains in its Schedules in Annex I and Annex II the non-conforming measures to which the provisions on national treatment (Article 11.03), most-favoured-nation 
treatment (Article 11.04) and local presence (Artic le 11.06) do not apply.  Annex I provides for non-
conforming measures maintained by the Parties at any level of government and the continuation or 
prompt renewal of or amendment to any non-co nforming measure to the extent that it does not 
become more restrictive than at the time of entr y into force of the Agreement.  The Schedule in 
Annex II sets out the sectors, subsectors or specific economic activities with respect to which a Party 
may adopt or maintain measures not subject to certain provisions of the Chapter on Services.   The Parties have listed their respective non-di scriminatory quantitative restrictions and are 
required periodically, but in any event at least ev ery two years, to endeavour to negotiate the 
liberalization or removal thereof.  Restrictions of this type are non-discriminatory measures imposing 
limitations on the number of service providers (whe ther in the form of a quota, a monopoly or an  WT/REG165/5 
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 economic needs test, or by any other quantitative means), or the operations of any service provider 
(whether in the form of a quota or an economic needs test, or by any other quantitative means).   The Chapter on Investment incorporates the Agreements on the Promotion and Reciprocal 
Protection of Investments which each Central Amer ican country has signed with Chile and which 
form an integral part of the Agreement.  In the specific case of El Salvador and Chile, this bilateral 
agreement on investment was signed on 8 November 1996.  It lays down a series of provisions that 
the Parties undertake to apply in respect of investme nts and investors of the other Party.  The Parties 
thus undertake to provide national and most-favoured-n ation treatment to the investments of investors 
of the other Party.  The Agreement also establishe s rules governing transfers and expropriation, as 
well as an arbitration mechanism fo r the settlement of any dispute that may arise between a Party and 
an investor of the other Party.  
II. PROVISIONS AFFECTING TRADE IN SERVICES 
1. Provisions in the Agreement which are relevant to the scope of the GATS: 
Chapter 1 Initial Provisions 
 Chapter  2 General Definitions  Chapter  10 Investment  Chapter  11 Cross-Border Trade in Services  Chapter  12 Air Transportation Services   Chapter  14 Temporary Entry for Business Persons 
 Chapter  17 Transparency 
 Chapter  18 Administration of the Agreement  Chapter  19  Dispute Settlement  Chapter  20  Exceptions  Chapter  21 Final Provisions 
 
 The above provisions form an Agreement liber alizing trade in services between the Republic 
of Chile and El Salvador, within the meani ng of Article V.1 of the GATS, given that: 
 
• It provides for substantial sectoral coverage  of all services activities, subject to the 
exceptions under paragraph 3 of Articles 11.02 and 11.08 of the Chapter on cross-border trade, and the general excepti ons in Chapter 20.  These exclusions are 
fully consistent with the exceptions provided for under GATS Articles II, V, XIV and 
XIVbis and with the GATS Annex on Air Transport Services, Article I.3 of the 
GATS and the GATS Annex on Tel ecommunications, paragraph 2; 
 
• it incorporates all modes of supply: (i) cross-border; (ii) consumption abroad;  
(iii) commercial presence;  and (iv) presence of natural persons; 
 
• it provides for the absence or elimination of substantially all existing discriminatory 
measures and prohibits new or more discriminatory measures; 
 
• each Party is required to set out in it s Schedule to Annex III any quantitative 
restrictions that it maintains and to endeavour periodically to negotiate the 
liberalization of such restrictions; 
 
• through future negotiations to be arranged by the Commission, the Parties are 
required to seek further liberalization in the different services sectors. 
 WT/REG165/5 
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  The Republic of Chile and El Salvador ne gotiated their respective Schedules of Specific 
Commitments and their Lists of MFN Exemptions during the Uruguay Round.  The entry into force of the Agreement did not involve any modification of  or amendment to these Schedules/Lists.  The 
purpose of the Agreement is to facilitate trade betwee n the Parties.  None of its provisions aims to 
raise the level of restrictions on trade in services in respect of any other WTO Member. 
 
2. Rules of origin 
Chapter 2 of the Agreement sets out the following definitions: 
 
• Enterprise means any entity constituted or organized under the applicable law of a 
Party, whether or not for profit, and whether privately- or government-owned, 
including other economic organizations or  units constituted or organized under the 
applicable law of a Party, such as a trust,  partnership, sole proprietorship, joint 
venture or other association, but not corporations with bearer stock; 
 
• State enterprise means an enterprise that is owne d or controlled through ownership 
interests by a Party; 
 
• national  means a natural person of a Party as established in Annex 2.01; 
 
• person  means a natural person or an enterprise; 
 
• person of a Party  means a national or an enterprise of a Party; 
 
• territory  means the land, maritime, and air space of each Party and its exclusive 
economic zone and the continental shelf within which it exercises sovereign rights 
and jurisdiction in accordance with inte rnational law and its domestic law. 
  A Party may deny the benefits of this Chapter to a service provider of the other Party where it is established that the service is being provided by an enterprise that has no substantial business 
activities in the territory of the other Party and is owned or controlled by persons of a non-Party.  In 
accordance with Article 11.10 of the Chapter, a Party's entitlement to deny such benefits is subject to 
prior notification and consultation.  The criteria fo r determining whether an enterprise is owned or 
controlled by persons of a non-Party are those s tipulated in the legislation of that Party. 
 
3. Standards/recognition 
 As regards requisites and procedures for the r ecognition of qualifications, technical standards 
and licensing requirements, the Parties must seek to  ensure that their resp ective measures for the 
granting of permits, authorizations and licences to  nationals of another Party do not constitute 
unnecessary barriers to trade.   The Agreement provides for the recognition of  qualifications, including for the provision of 
professional services, through:  (a) mutual recogn ition of professional qualifications and academic 
degrees accompanied by supporting evidence;  or (b) licensing to exercise a profession.    The Parties recognize that the process of mutual recognition or re-certification of qualifications and licensing to exercise a profession in  their respective territories aims to improve the 
quality of professional services by establishing standards and criteria for the recognition or re-
certification of qualifications and licensing, while simultaneously protecting consumers and 
safeguarding the public interest.  To that end, th e Parties undertake to encourage the relevant bodies,  WT/REG165/5 
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 including government authorities and professional associations and colleges, to prepare such 
standards and criteria and to make recommendations  in that regard.  If the recommendations are 
consistent with the Agreement and the GATS, the Pa rties must encourage the competent authorities to 
adopt them.  They are also required to exchange information in this respect.  
 The Agreement further specifies that nothing may be construed to compel the Parties to grant 
recognition or re-certification of qualifications obtaine d in the territory of the other Party.  However, 
if a Party – whether unilaterally or by agreemen t with another country – does grant recognition or 
re-certification of qualifications obtained in the terr itory of a non-Party, then it must afford the other 
Party the opportunity to conclude an equivalent agreement. 
 
4. Safeguards 
The Agreement contains no special disciplines on safeguards in services.  
  It includes general provisions with regard to  balance-of-payments difficulties experienced by 
either Party (Article 20.06, paragraph 1).  Measur es adopted or maintained as a result of balance-of-
payments difficulties or the threat thereof must avoid unnecessary damage to the commercial interests 
of the other Party, not be more burdensome than necessary, be of a temporary nature and be phased 
out as the balance-of-payments situation improves (paragraph 3).   A Party may adopt or maintain a measure under this Article that gives priority to services that 
are essential to its economic programme, provided th at the measure is not imposed for the purpose of 
protecting a specific industry or sect or (Article 20.06, paragraph 4). 
 
5. Subsidies and State aid 
 The Chapter on Services does not apply to subsidi es or grants provided by a Party or a State 
enterprise, including government-supported loans, guarantees and insurance. 
 
6. Government procurement 
 The Chapter on Government Procurement est ablishes a framework of general rules and 
disciplines guaranteeing access to government procurem ent for producers and service providers of the 
other Party under conditions of non- discrimination, transparency and equal opportunity, as a means of 
promoting further trade in this field. 
   The Chapter basically lays down a series of rules defining its terms of implementation.  The rules are as follows: 
  
• The Chapter applies to government procuremen t carried out by entities of the Parties, 
subject to the exceptions established in the Annexes; 
 
• there are no thresholds in r espect of scope and coverage; 
 
• each Party must immediately and uncond itionally accord to the goods, services and 
suppliers of the other Party that offers goods or services originating in its territory 
treatment no less favourable than it accords to its own goods, services and suppliers.  
This does not include measures relating to  customs duties and any other type of 
measure relating to importation; 
 
• the Parties are required to ensure effec tive circulation and proper understanding of 
their respective procurement procedures and of business opportunities generated by, WT/REG165/5 
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 and the outcome of, any government procurement process.  They must respond 
promptly to questions pertaining to any existing measure; 
 
• reference is made to the provisions on denial of benefits of the Chapter on 
cross-border services; 
 
• the Parties may privatize any entity covered in  this Chapter.  Once the entity has been 
privatized, it should be withdrawn from the scope of the Chapter, without any 
possibility of establishing compensatory measures. 
  Each Party applies its national legislation, having regard to the following conditions:  
(a) non-discrimination, timeliness, transparency and efficiency;  and (b) guarantee of due process. 
 
 The Parties are required to hold consultations, at the request of any Party, in order to include within the scope of this Chapter any entit y listed in the Annex on excluded entities.  
  Any difference that may arise between the Pa rties regarding this Chapter is settled in 
accordance with th e Chapter on Dispute Settlement.  
  There are two Annexes:  
(a) Excluded entities:  each Party lists the entities excluded from the scope of this 
Chapter; 
(b) excluded contractual activities:  each Party lists the contractual activities excluded 
from the scope of this Chapter, i.e. governme nt defence contracts of a strategic nature 
and other types of procurement related to  national security, government procurement 
of personnel assigned to perform duties i nherent to the entities, and government 
procurement carried out with funds from the State, regional or multilateral 
organizations or individuals that impose c onditions inconsistent with the provisions 
of this Chapter. 
7. Sector-specific provisions  
 The Agreement contains a Chapter regulating the measures that a Party adopts or maintains 
with regard to air transportation services, whic h therefore provides for the incorporation of a 
convention of this type signed between Chile and El Salvador. 
  The Chapter states that no modification consistent  with the rights and duties established in the 
Convention on Air Transportation concluded between th e Parties may restrict the rights existing prior 
to such modification.   
 Disputes between the Parties regarding the Chapter on Air Transportation are settled in 
accordance with the Agreem ent's Chapter on Dispute Settlement, with the exception of the specific 
provisions regarding the composition of the panel established in the Chapter on Air Transportation. 
  The Agreement also contains a Chapter on Telecommunications.   
 
 Lastly, the Chapter on Temporary Entry for Bu siness Persons aims to facilitate temporary 
entry for business visitors, traders and investors, and intra-company personnel, while ensuring border 
security and protecting the domestic labour force and permanent employment in the Parties' respective 
territories.   WT/REG165/5 
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  This Chapter contains seven articles, which set out the obligations entered into by the Parties 
in order to facilitate temporary entry for certa in categories of person, two Annexes and two 
Appendices.  The first Annex specifies the categor ies of business person covered and the respective 
entry requisites;  the second Annex establishes th e specific requirements regarding Chile and El 
Salvador.  The first Appendix lists the various ac tivities conferring eligibility for entry as a business 
visitor;  the second Appendix lists each  Party's existing immigration measures. 
  In conformity with this Chapter, each Party undertakes to grant temporary entry to business 
persons eligible for entry under applicable measures relating to public health  and safety and national 
security.  Temporary entry of a business person does not confer the right to exercise a profession. 
 
 The three categories of business person eligible  for the treatment provi ded under this Chapter 
are business visitors, traders and investors, and intra-company personnel.   None of the three categories is subject to prior approval pro cedures, petitions, labour 
certification tests or other procedures of similar effect, or numerical restriction.  The Parties may 
require a visa or its equivalent as a condition for granting temporary entry.   The Parties may modify their immigration measures, provided that such modifications do not alter the commitments made under this Chapter.  Th e Parties also undertake to exchange information 
in this area. 
 
 A Party may refuse to issue an immigration document authorizing employment to a business 
person where the temporary entry of that person mi ght adversely affect the settlement of any labour 
dispute or the employment of a person involved in su ch a dispute.  Should a Party refuse to issue such 
a document, it must inform in writing the business pe rson and the other Party of the reasons for the 
refusal. 
  Proceedings may not be instituted in this s phere under the Agreement's dispute settlement 
mechanism unless the matter involves a pattern of practice and the available administrative remedies 
have been exhausted.  III. GENERAL PROVISIONS OF THE AGREEMENT 
1. Exceptions and reservations 
 Chapter 20 (Exceptions) contains the rules rela ting to exceptions.  Their purpose is to identify 
specific situations in which the provisions of th e Agreement would not apply for any the following 
reasons:  public interest, national security, bala nce-of-payments difficulties or tax measures. 
 
 General exceptions 
 
  Article XIV (a), (b) and (c) of the GATS is inco rporated into and made part of the Agreement 
for the purposes of Part Two (Trade in Goods), to the extent that any provision of that Part applies to 
services;  Part Three (Technical Barriers to Trade);  the Chapters on Cross-Border Trade in Services, 
Air Transportation Services, Telecommunications, and Temporary Entry for Business Persons;  and 
the Chapters on Competition Policy and Government Proc urement, to the extent that any provision of 
those Chapters applies to services.  WT/REG165/5 
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  National security
 
  As far as national security is concerned, the Parties may provide for exceptions in order to 
protect their essential security interests or take action in pursuance of their obligations under the 
United Nations Charter for the maintena nce of international peace and security. 
 
 Balance of payments
 
  The Parties may establish exceptions in order to  adopt or maintain me asures that restrict 
transfers where a Party faces serious balance-of-pay ments difficulties or the threat thereof, provided 
that such restrictions are consistent with certain  Article 20.04 requirements.  As soon as practicable 
after a Party imposes a measure restricting transfers,  in pursuance of its international obligations the 
Party is required to submit all restrictions on current account operations for review by the 
International Monetary Fund (IMF) und er Article VII of the IMF Articles of Agreement;  to enter into 
good faith consultations with the IMF on economic  adjustment measures to address the underlying 
economic problems;  and to adopt or maintain economic policies cons istent with such consultations. 
  The measures applied or maintained must al so avoid unnecessary damage to the commercial, 
economic or financial interests of the other Party, not be more burdensome than necessary to deal with 
the balance-of-payments difficulties, be of a temporary nature and be progressively phased out as the situation improves. 
 
 A Party may adopt or maintain a measure that gi ves priority to services th at are essential to its 
economic programme, provided that the measure is not imposed for the purpose of protecting a specific industry or sector, unless the measure is consistent with the provisions of the IMF Articles of Agreement. 
 
 Article 20 further stipulates that restrictions  on transfers imposed on payments for current 
international transactions must be consistent with  Article VIII(3) of the IMF Articles of Agreement;  
must be consistent with Article VI of the IM F Articles of Agreement and be applied only in 
conjunction with measures imposed on payments for current interna tional transactions;  and may not 
take the form of tariff surcharges, quotas, licences or similar measures. 
 
 Disclosure of information
 
  Concerning disclosure of information, the Parties may establish exceptions as regards the supply or access to information the disclosure of which could impede compliance with or would be 
contrary to their respective Constitutions or laws. 
  Taxation
 
  None of the provisions of the Agreement app lies to tax measures or affects the rights and 
obligations of the Parties under tax conventions.  In the event of inconsistency between the 
Agreement and any such convention, that convention prevails to the extent of the inconsistency. 
  Notwithstanding the above, the national treatme nt provisions apply to tax measures to the 
same extent as does Article III of the GATT 1994 and the export tax provisions to tax measures. 
 
 Reservations
 
  The Parties made no reservations to the Agre ement, since Article 21.02 (Reservations) states 
that the Agreement may not be subject to reservations or interpretative statements on the occasion of its ratification.  WT/REG165/5 
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 2. Accession  
There is no specific provision for other countries to accede to the Agreement. 
 
3. Dispute settlement procedures  
 The dispute settlement mechanism is establishe d in Chapter 19 of the Agreement.  This 
Chapter applies to the settlement of any dispute that arises between the Parties regarding the 
application or interpretation of the Agreement or wherever a Party considers that an existing or 
proposed measure of the other Party is liable to prove inconsistent with the obligations of the 
Agreement or cause nullification or impairment (Annex to Article 19.03).  
 The Agreement stipulates that the complaining Party may opt for the procedure provided by 
the WTO or that established by the Agreement.  On ce a forum has been selected, it must be used to 
the exclusion of the other (Article 19.04).   If the mechanism established by the Agreement is chosen, it first provides for consultations 
between the Parties. If this fails to resolve the dis pute in a mutually satisfactory manner, either Party 
may refer the matter to the Free Trade Commission,  which then initiates a conciliation or mediation 
phase.    If, within a specified period of time, the Parti es still fail to agree, either Party may request in 
writing the establishment of an arbitral panel made up of three members, acting in conformity with 
rules of procedure to be laid down by the Commissi on.  Panellists are normally selected from a roster, 
drawn up by the Parties, of persons with interna tional expertise and experience.  Each Party selects 
one panellist who is a citizen of the other Party.  The chair is designated jointly by the Parties;  should 
they prove unable to reach  consensus, one of the Parties, chosen  by lot, selects as chair an individual 
from the roster who is not a citizen of either Party.   
 
 The Agreement provides for the right of third Par ties to attend the hearings, to be heard by the 
arbitral panel, and to make and receive written co mmunications to and from th e panel.  Third-party 
communications must be reflected in the final report of the arbitral panel.     Within a period of 90 days after the arbitral panel has been established, the panel issues its 
initial report containing findings of fact, a determination as to whether the measure imposed by the 
respondent Party is inconsistent with the Agreemen t, and a recommendation.  Once the Parties have 
submitted their comments on the initial report, the pane l issues its final report, which is binding on the 
Parties.  The measure found to be inconsistent shoul d be repealed wherever possible.  If the Parties 
fail to reach a mutually satisfactory settlement, th e complaining Party may suspend the application of 
benefits of equivalent effect to the respondent Pa rty, as far as possible in the sector affected by the 
measure.  Where the respondent Party deems the bene fits suspended by the complaining Party to be 
excessive, it may request the establishment of an arbitral panel to rule on the matter.   Moreover, Chapter 10 refers to the Agreem ent between Chile and El Salvador on the 
Promotion and Reciprocal Protection of Invest ments, which provides for arbitration allowing 
investors of a Party to bring action against a fore ign State for breaches of investment obligations 
which result in financial loss.  The purpose of this m echanism is to award restitution of the investment 
to the investor or monetary damages for the fina ncial loss caused by the breach  and, where applicable, 
procedural costs.  The panel may not, how ever, order payment of punitive damages. 
 
 This mechanism assures equal treatment among i nvestors of the Parties, in accordance with 
the principle of international reciprocity a nd due process before an impartial tribunal. 
 WT/REG165/5 
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 4. Relation with other trade agreements 
In the Agreement, the Parties affirm their exis ting rights and obligations with respect to each 
other under the WTO Agreement and other agreements to  which they are party.  In the event of any 
inconsistency with such agreemen ts, the provisions of the Agreement prevail to the extent of the 
inconsistency.  Nevertheless, it should be emphasized that obligations deriving from the Convention 
on International Trade in Endangered Species of W ild Fauna and Flora, the Montreal Protocol on 
Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer and the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary 
Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal prevail in the event of any inconsistency with 
the Agreement.  5. Institutional framework 
 The Agreement establishes a series of rules fo r its administration and for the settlement of 
disputes stemming from its implementation.  Administrative bodies: 
 
 The Free Trade Commission (at ministerial level) supervises the proper implementation of 
the Agreement;  evaluates the results of such impl ementation;  settles disputes regarding interpretation 
or implementation of the Agreement;  and considers any other matter that may affect the operation of 
the Agreement.  
 The Commission may also seek the advice of indi viduals or groups;  amend the specific rules 
of origin, the Tariff Elimination Programme and th e Uniform Regulations;  prepare and approve the 
regulations needed for implementation of the Agreem ent;  and take any other action within its sphere 
of competence.  
 Although the Commission comprises Chile and the five Central American countries, the 
Commission may meet with a smaller quorum, that is , when Chile and one or more Central American 
countries meet to deal with matters of exclusive interest to those Parties (e.g. to accelerate tariff 
elimination, dispute settlement).   The Free Trade Sub-Commission  provides the Commission with technical advice;  follows 
up on the decisions of the Commission;  and, at the request of any Party, examines any other matter 
that could affect the operation of the Agreement.   The Secretariat  carries out administrative functions and provides support for the 
Commission. 
 
 The Committees, Sub-Committees or Groups of Experts  deal with matters relating to trade in 
goods, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, standard s-related, metrology and approval procedures, 
investment, cross-border trade in services, and the Advisory Committee on Private Commercial Disputes.  IV. OTHER 
Final Provisions 
 
 Chapter 21 (Final Provisions) contains the fina l provisions of the Agreement.  These rules 
regulate procedures ranging from amendments to wit hdrawal.  It is important to note that the 
Agreement has an indefinite duration. 
  WT/REG165/5 
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  The full text of the Agreement is available on the following websites: 
  In Chile:  http://www.direcon.c l/otros_acuerdos_tlc_camerica.php
 
 In El Salvador:  http://www.min ec.gob.sv/datco/default.asp?id=20&mnu=20  
 
 
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