Chilean lawmakers back free trade pact

The lower house of Chile’s parliament has ratified a bilateral free-trade pact with South Korea and has sent the accord to the upper house for its approval, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said yesterday.
According to the Foreign Ministry, the Chamber House of Deputies, or the lower house of the Chilean Congress, approved the bill on Tuesday. Attended by 94 among the 120 members of the house, 91 cast votes for the bill and the three turned in blanket ballots.
The Senate, or the upper house, will vote on the pact next month, the Foreign Ministry said.
In Korea’s National Assembly, the bill for the ratification of the free-trade agreement was introduced on July 8, but is still pending, due to strong oppositions by farmer groups.
It is Korea’s first free-trade pact with another country.