Chile became the first South American country to be invited to join NAFTA, the North American Free Trade Agreement, and is currently one of Latin America’s leading economies. Chile has a population of about 16 million, a GDP of $118 billion, an annual growth rate of about 6 percent and a per capita GDP of $8,900. In 2006, 14.6 percent of total imports to Chile were supplied by the U.S. Chile’s stable and growing economy make it an attractive market for southern U.S. suppliers.