Chilean and Colombian officials on Monday began their second round of free trade talks in the Colombian city of Barranquilla, local media reported.

The talks are supposed to end with a deal ready for signature on Nov. 27.

The negotiating teams are scheduled to deal with issues ranging from public purchases to labor. According to reports, the discussions will involve two committees -- a health and animal hygiene committee, which will work from Monday to Wednesday, and a trade defense committee, which will meet on Wednesday.

On Thursday and Friday, the two teams will discuss cooperation and initiatives to kindle trade. Other sessions include market access, rules of origin, customs procedures, services and investment.

A two-stage revision process is planned for the final decision: on Nov. 13 in Bogota and on Nov. 20 in Santiago. The Chilean and Colombian presidents will then sign the deal at a Nov. 27 ceremony in Santiago.

Colombia and the United States are set to sign a separate deal on the same day in Washington.

Chile and Colombia held their first round of talks from Oct. 10 to Oct. 14 in Chile's capital Santiago. The two nations already have a deal called the Economic Complementation Accord, which was signed in 1993 and awards preferential tariffs to 95 percent of goods produced by each nation.

Source: Xinhua