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India and Chile Clash Over Critical Minerals in CEPA Talks
India and Chile are negotiating a bigger trade agreement.
India wants better access to important minerals such as copper and lithium.
These minerals are used to make things like electronics and electric vehicles.
Chile would rather work together on supply chains and sell more processed products than promise special access to raw minerals.
Chile has said some Indian requests do not fit its current laws.
India says it is opening its large market to Chile and wants something substantial in return.
The two countries hope to finish the negotiations by the end of the year.
Their trade already includes Indian manufactured goods and Chilean minerals, among other products.
India is pressing Chile for substantive commitments on access to copper, lithium and other critical minerals in a proposed Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement.
Chile favors supply-chain cooperation and exports of value-added products, while resisting preferential access to raw minerals.
Sources say Chile has rejected some Indian proposals, citing constraints under its existing laws.
The negotiations are intended to conclude by year-end and would expand the countries’ 2006 preferential trade agreement, which was broadened in 2017.
In 2025, India exported $1.41 billion in goods to Chile and imported $3.97 billion, with imports rising mainly because of higher gold imports.
- Who
- India and Chile.
- What
- They are negotiating a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, with access to critical minerals a key point of disagreement.
- Where
- India and Chile.
- When
- The negotiations are intended to conclude by the end of 2026; the article was published October 4, 2026.
- Why
- India seeks to diversify supplies of minerals used in manufacturing and wants preferential access as part of a broader trade pact.
India's position
Chile's position
Preferential access to raw minerals
India's position
India wants at least some preferential treatment for access to critical minerals, including copper and lithium, and says it expects substantive commitments in return for opening its market.
Chile's position
Chile has resisted preferential access to raw materials, with sources saying it cited limits under existing laws.
Focus of mineral cooperation
India's position
India wants the agreement to help secure supplies of critical minerals.
Chile's position
Chile favors cooperation to secure supply chains and exports of value-added products rather than commitments on preferential access to raw materials.
Key facts
- Negotiation goal
- India and Chile aim to conclude CEPA talks by year-end.
- Minerals at issue
- Copper, lithium and other critical minerals.
- Existing trade agreement
- A preferential trade agreement signed in 2006 and expanded in 2017.
- India's exports to Chile in 2025
- $1.41 billion, up from $1.24 billion in 2024.
- India's imports from Chile in 2025
- $3.97 billion, up from $2.59 billion in 2024; the increase was mainly attributed to higher gold imports.
- Mineral projects
- In November 2025, Codelco and Kutch Copper signed an agreement to explore three copper projects in Chile.
- Planned CEPA coverage
- Goods, critical minerals, services, digital services, MSMEs and investment.
Quotes
An unnamed source
A source familiar with the India-Chile negotiations.
“We have given them our strong ask. We are giving the Chileans access to such a big market. In return we are hardly getting any market. So at least they must give us something substantive in critical minerals.”
thehindubusinessline.com
“Some of the preferences recently sought by India for securing supplies have been mostly rejected by Chile on the grounds that they were not possible under Chile’s existing laws.”
thehindubusinessline.com
Sources
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