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Yellen vows to work for closer ties, work on green energy in visit to Chile

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Friday highlighted the United States' keen interest in deepening ties with Chile, a key manufacturer of copper and lithium, as both allies work to address climate change and speed up the energy shift.

Yellen kicked off a visit to Chile with remarks at a green energy roundtable, where she hailed President Joe Biden's. landmark Inflation Reduction Act. The act provides tax credits for. electrical cars, photovoltaic panels and other renewable energy. items made from metals extracted in the United States or. nations with U.S. free trade deals - consisting of Chile.

The United States is concentrated on deepening ties with trusted. partners like Chile and building resilient and reliable clean. energy supply chains through financial investments in the house in the U.S. and. abroad, Yellen informed the event, which was co-hosted by Chilean. Financing Minister Mario Marcel.

After a private conference with Marcel, Yellen told press reporters. that Chile - a lead manufacturer of lithium and copper, had actually a. critical function to play in the supply chains that will power the. world's shift to tidy energy.

We see chances to further integrate our supply chains. with benefits for both our economies, she said, adding that the. possibilities for collaboration extended far beyond clean energy. to include investment screening best practices.

There was also considerable scope for Chile and the United. States to interact in the context of multilateral online forums. such as the Inter-American Development Bank, she said.

The visit belongs to a broader push by the Biden. administration to reduce its dependence on vital minerals from. China and to build more durable and varied supply chains.

Yellen told that the United States, in what she. calls friendshoring, did not indicate any desire to decouple. from China, despite issues raised by the International. Monetary Fund and others about growing geoeconomic. fragmentation.

The IMF has made more of this than I'm personally. comfortable with, Yellen said in an interview. When you see us. attempting to diversify crucial supply chains, they act as however. our economy is going to entirely decouple and trade is going. to collapse, and I believe that's a large exaggeration.

SHARED ADVANTAGE

Neither the United States nor China had any desire to see. the collapse of their bilateral trade, she stated, nor was. Washington prompting countries to stop their trade with China.

Relocations by Western nations to lower their over-dependence. on China had prompted some production to move to other countries. such as Vietnam, India or Chile, but that was continuing to. benefit trade, she said.

It's not as though every country is shutting its doors and. stopping to trade, she stated.

The Treasury Secretary said continued partnership between. the two long-standing allies would benefit both countries, now. benefiting from a new tax treaty seen as important for ensuring. gain access to for U.S. business to lithium, a mineral vital for. electric lorry batteries. The treaty went into effect on Dec. 19.

U.S. services and items trade with Chile totaled an. approximated $48.6 billion in 2022, with U.S. exports amounting to. $ 28.9 billion and imports $19.7 billion.

Chile's largest export market stays China, with 39.4%,. followed by the United States with 13.9%, Japan with 7.6%, and. South Korea with 6.2%.

Yellen stated the Inflation Decrease Act put the United. States on track to decrease greenhouse gas emissions by at least. 40% by the end of this years, and used organizations and. financiers the long-lasting clarity and certainty to make. large-scale investments.

She lauded Chile's federal government for its leadership on the. energy transition, including through rapid work to decarbonize. the electrical power sector, leading green bond issuance, and. supporting development in the domestic lithium industry.

We look forward to more collaboration between our. ministries and our nations more broadly, including our personal. sectors, to continue promoting financial investments that drive the energy. shift forward, Yellen said.

Yellen will fulfill privately with Marcel later Friday. as with Chilean President Gabriel Boric and Chile's top central. lender Rosanna Costa.

(source: Reuters)