WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/TBT/2/Add.16/Rev.1 
16 March 2006 
 
 (06-1194) 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:   Spanish 
  
 
IMPLEMENTATION AND ADMINISTRATION OF THE AGREEMENT 
ON TECHNICAL BARRIERS TO TRADE 
 
Communication by Chile  
 
Revision  
 
 
 The following communication, dated 14 Marc h 2006, has been received from the delegation 
of Chile . 
 
_______________ 
 
 
1. I have the honour to transmit the information be low, which gives an update of the measures 
adopted by Chile pursuant to the Agreement and s upersedes the information contained in previous 
documents.  It is notified in accordance with Artic le 15.2 of the Agreement on Technical Barriers to 
Trade, and with the decision adopted by the Commi ttee on Technical Barriers to Trade, contained in 
the document G/TBT/1/Rev.8 of 23 May 2002.  
2. The Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization and the Agreement on Technical 
Barriers to Trade, which is an integral part th ereof, came into force as law of the Republic on 
17 May 1995, after having been approved by the Na tional Congress (Decree No. 16 of the Ministry of 
Foreign Affairs, published in the O fficial Journal on 17 May 1995). 
3. Law No. 19.912, published in the Official Journal of 4 November 2003, establishes, in Title I, 
Articles 2 to 5, a mechanism to allow complian ce with the notification procedures for technical 
regulations and conformity assessment procedures set out in Articles 2.9, 2.10, 3.2, 3.3, 5.6, 5.7, 7.2 and 7.3 of the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trad e.  The rules under this Title give effect in law 
to a mechanism that has been in operation for several years. 
4. Decree No. 77 of the Ministry of the Economy,  Development and Rec onstruction, published 
in the Official Journal of 14 June 2004, contai ns implementing regulatio ns for Title I of the 
Law 19.912 and sets out the requirements that the relevant bodies must meet when drawing up, adopting and implementing technical regulations and conformity assessment procedures. 
5. The decree establishes principles to be observe d in the context of good regulatory practice, 
such as using international standards as a basis,  not creating unnecessary barriers to trade, national 
treatment and most-favoured-nation treatment.  In th e main section, it establishes an obligation to hold 
consultations on draft technical regulations (60 days as a general rule) and to inform the Ministry of 
the Economy so that it can notify them to the WTO.   Moreover, it establishes, as a general rule, a 
period of 6 months between the a doption and the implementation of th e technical regulations in order 
to give economic operators time to adapt to the ne w provisions.  In special circumstances, envisaged 
in the TBT Agreement, the period may be shorter. G/TBT/2/Add.16/Rev.1 
Page 2  
 
  6. In 1997, a National Committee on Technical Barrier s to Trade was formed.  It answers to the 
Ministry of the Economy through its Department of Foreign Trade, and comprises a number of public 
institutions concerned with the preparation, ad option and implementation of rules, technical 
regulations and conformity assessment procedures. 
7. The Committee's aim is to coordinate and secu re consistency between the efforts of the 
various bodies involved in these matters in the country, with a view, inter alia , to complying with the 
obligations that derive from the WTO TBT agr eement of the WTO, coordinating the country's 
position in this area in trade negotiations with other countries and addressing the issue of standardization as an instrument to support the country's process of technological modernization. 
8. Title I of law 19.912, and its regulatory decree No. 77, were the result of work done by the 
national committee. 
9. Responsibility for implementing and administer ing the Agreement on Technical Barriers to 
Trade lies with the Ministry of the Economy, Deve lopment and Reconstruction, and more specifically 
its Department of Foreign Trade (DECOEX), whic h in turn is the enquiry point for technical 
regulations and the related conformity assessment pro cedures.  Its duties relating to technical barriers 
accordingly include notification of the WTO and further processing required by the notification 
procedure;  that is, it receives comments on notified draft regulations and channels replies to these 
comments. 
10. Notices concerning the preparation of technical regulations and related conformity assessment 
procedures, are published on their websites for example,  by the institutions that have the authority to 
draw them up (Ministries and other government bodies involved in the specific area to be regulated).  
Once adopted, the regulations and conformity asse ssment procedures are published in the Official 
Journal.  The time-limit for presenting written comments is not less than 60 days, except in emergencies. 
11. As for voluntary technical standards, these are drawn up by the National Standardization 
Institute (INN), a foundation established under priv ate law and run by the Production Development 
Corporation (CORFO).  On 20 September 1995, th e INN adopted the Code of Good Practice for the 
Preparation, Adoption and Implementation of Sta ndards, included in Annex 3 of the WTO TBT 
Agreement, and is accordingly governed by its pr ovisions.  The study of these is carried out in 
accordance with internationally accepted ISO and IEC criteria.  The standards are obtained through a 
process of consensus among the parties invited to participate, both from the public sector and from 
private sectors.  While the standards are under st udy, the INN announces on its website (www.inn.cl) 
that the public consultation process is open (for 60 days). 
12. With regard to the services specified in Articles 10.1 and 10.3 of the Agreement, the 
following are now fully operational: 
13. For technical regulations (Article 10.1), the Enqui ry Point is the Department of Foreign Trade 
in the Ministry of the Economy, Devel opment and Reconstruction. The Address is: 
 
Teatinos 120, piso 11, Santiago, Chile Telephone: (+56 2) 4733441 Fax: (+56 2) 4733427 E-mail:  decoex@economia.cl 
  G/TBT/2/Add.16/Rev.1 
 Page 3 
 
 
  14. For technical standards (Article 10.3), the Enquiry Point is the National Institute of 
Standardization. The Address is: 
Matías Cousiño 64, piso 6 
Santiago-Chile Telephone:  (+56 2) 4458000 
Fax:  (+56 2) 4410427 
E-mail: inn@inn.cl 
 
15. Chile is a unitary state, so technical regul ations and conformity assessment procedures are 
prepared at central Government level.  
__________