The Chilean business guild Sofofa, led by Rosario Navarro, held crucial meetings in Washington this week to lobby against US tariffs on Chilean exports. Discussions focused on positioning Chile as a strategic partner in critical minerals. This marks the second such visit in under two months.
From Monday to Wednesday, the Sofofa delegation, including Navarro, first vice president Gonzalo Said, general secretary Rodrigo Yáñez, international director Diego Torres, and AmCham president Roberta Valenca, met with key figures from the US government and establishment. Notable encounters included meetings with Carlos De Juana, director general for Latin America at the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC); Lelan Smith, director of International Economics at the White House National Security Council; Rodney Davis, head of Government Affairs at the US Chamber of Commerce; and representatives from the America First Policy Institute, a think tank linked to the Trump administration.
Chile faces a general 10% tariff on its shipments to the US, the minimum applied, and was exempted in July from 50% tariffs on refined copper and cathodes, which make up most of its mineral exports. However, since October 14, the US imposed a 10% surtax on softwood lumber and sawn imports, and 25% on wood manufactures, creating uncertainty for Chile's forestry sector. Sofofa hired the lobbying firm Continental Strategy and the law firm Steptoe to counter Donald Trump's tariff offensive.
"The objective is to continue advocating for a better positioning of Chile –which remains subject to the 10% general tariff, plus sector-specific ones on wood and derivatives (10%), and copper and derivatives (50%, though cathodes are exempt)– , leveraging our country's conditions that position it as a strategic, reliable, sustainable, and long-term partner in supplying copper, lithium, rare earths, rhenium, molybdenum, and other critical minerals," explained Navarro.
The delegation also attended the CEAL 2025 General Assembly, featuring figures like OAS Secretary General Albert Ramdin, Dominican President Luis Abinader, and Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa. In the DFC meeting, discussions covered strengthening Chilean participation in strategic supply chains and preparing a DFC visit to Chile. "We had a very productive meeting with the DFC... We hope that with the modification of criteria, Chile can be eligible to seek financing for strategic investment projects," stated Yáñez.
Valenca emphasized: "Chile was the seventh fastest-growing source of foreign direct investment in the US in 2023, with over US$6 billion." Sofofa cited examples like Molymet's US$40 million investment in Rhenium Alloys and Aclara's US$270 million in a rare earths plant in Louisiana to reinforce the strategic partnership idea.