Bob Menendez: “this year marks the 20th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the United States and Chile and 20 years since Congress…”

“this year marks the 20th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the United States and Chile and 20 years since Congress approved a free-trade agreement between our two countries. In April, I led a codel to Chile. I had a chance to meet with Chile's leaders and American businesses operating there. We were a bipartisan group. I went with Senator Kaine, Senator Hagerty, and Congressman Tony Cardenas. We met with tech companies. We met with insurance companies. We met with mining companies--you name it. Do you know what every single one of them said to us? Do you know what they all wanted from the U.S. Senate? To approve the Chile tax treaty. They said, if the United States doesn't ratify the treaty, they will continue to be at a huge disadvantage. The world is changing--we are undergoing an energy transition--and without this treaty, we are going to fall behind on critical minerals and manufacturing of the future. And they are right. China already has a tax treaty with Chile. If the United States wants to level the playing field for American businesses and deepen our ties with Chile, we need to act. Chile is one of our strongest democratic partners in the Americas, and the Chileans want us to ratify the treaty as well. We heard that message loud and clear when we spoke to the President and senior Members of Chile's Senate.…”