LatinNews Daily - 28 February 2024

*Unionised workers from Chile’s Compañía Siderúrgica Huachipato, the steel division of iron ore and steel producer Compañía de Acero del Pacífico (CAP), located in BíoBío region, have delivered a letter to President Gabriel Boric asking for measures to safeguard against the impact of Chinese steel imports on the sector. The workers presented the letter at the national palace, accompanied by Biobío governor Rodrigo Díaz Worner, warning about the “unfair competition” posed by Chinese steel. Specifically, the workers are calling for a 25% tariff to be imposed on imports of steel bars for milling. The request comes as a commission dedicated to investigating price distortions in relation to imported goods, is examining a request from the union to review the price of imported steel bars. According to the union, Huachipato generates more than 22,000 direct and indirect jobs, almost all of which are in Biobío. Boric led a high-level delegation to China in October last year, during which 13 new cooperation agreements were agreed with Beijing.