• The event, organized by InvestChile and held in Rome, focused on deepening trade relations between the two countries and addressing key investment opportunities and challenges.

With the participation of government officials and over 150 Italian investors, on Wednesday, President Gabriel Boric Font led the Chile–Italy Business Meeting in Rome, organized by InvestChile, as part of his official visit to Italy. The event aimed to strengthen trade relations between Chile and Italy, highlight key investment opportunities and challenges between both countries, and position Chile as a hub for Latin American investment.

Also in attendance were Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alberto van Klaveren; Minister Secretary-General of the Presidency, Macarena Lobos; InvestChile Director, Karla Flores; President of the Senate, Manuel José Ossandón; Senators Loreto Carvajal, Sergio Gahona, and Juan Ignacio Latorre; and the Chilean Ambassador to Italy, Ennio Vivaldi.

During the meeting, President Boric emphasized Chile’s potential to become an investment hub for the region. “Today I invite you to see Chile as a bridge to all of Latin America, and as a strategic partner in a world that is uncertain, changing, and challenging. In such a rapidly evolving scenario, it is important to have reliable partners, and as Head of State of Chile, I can give you my assurance that Chile is a reliable partner,” he said

The opening segment of the meeting included remarks from InvestChile Director, Karla Flores, and the Director General for the Promotion of Italy, Mauro Battocchi, followed by a roundtable discussing specific topics related to the investment between the two countries.

“Chile is a country with a global outlook that has chosen to engage in multilateral dialogue on global challenges—not just as listeners, but with our own voice—and is aligned with opportunities for the development of clean energy and critical minerals for the energy transition, as well as technological infrastructure and clean fuels, which are essential for addressing today’s challenges,” highlighted Fores.

“In this journey, we firmly believe Italy can play a very important role. Italian companies today contribute with innovation, technological development, and cutting-edge machinery and equipment across multiple economic sectors. They have a strong presence in Chile in sectors such as recycling, circular economy, and others where we face major challenges,” she added.

Business roundtable

In the afternoon, over 45 senior executives from Italian companies participated in the roundtable titled Perspectives and Opportunities for Italian Companies in Chile, organized by InvestChile. The roundtable was moderated by Francisca Müller, InvestChile’s Investment Commissioner in Rome, and featured speakers including Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alberto van Klaveren; Minister Secretary-General of the Presidency, Macarena Lobos; Head of International Markets Development at CDP, Laurent Franciosi; and InvestChile Director, Karla Flores.

The discussion provided Italian companies with a comprehensive overview of Chile’s economic scenario, including bilateral relations and opportunities related to the country’s trade agreements, presented by Alberto van Klaveren; key government legislative initiatives to promote investment, including the new Sectoral Permits Law, presented by Macarena Lobos; and investment facilitation measures to streamline projects, outlined by Karla Flores.

Italy is Chile’s sixth-largest foreign investor, accounting for 5.1% of the country’s total foreign direct investment stock as of 2023, with investments primarily in the electricity, agribusiness, and construction sectors. In 2024, trade between Chile and Italy totaled US$2.5 billion, with US$926 million in exports—mainly copper, hazelnuts, and molybdenum—and US$1.5 billion in imports, including cleaning machinery, packaging equipment, and pharmaceuticals.

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