A three-day Chinese commodity fair was opened in Chile's capital on Thursday in a bid to promote bilateral trade.

With over 60 companies in the automobile, telecommunication, machinery, construction materials and garment industries participating, the ExpoChina 2007 fair is expected to have 100 million U.S. dollars in trade volume.

Cai Jiaxiang, deputy director of China Shipper's Association, said at the opening ceremony that he hoped the fair would serve as a link between companies from China and Chile and help promote bilateral economic and trade cooperation.

China has become the second largest trade partner for Chile, which is the third largest trade partner in Latin America for China. A free trade agreement between the two countries took effect in 2006.

Alicia Frohmann, head of the trade promotion department with the Chilean Foreign Ministry, said trade between Chile and China grew by a record 98 percent in the first half of this year and exports to China now account for 15 percent of Chile's total.