Peru's free trade agreement with China will not go into effect on Friday as had been planned, Foreign Minister Jose Garcia Belaunde said Tuesday.
"It will not be on January 15 as we had originally planned due to the internal workings of the Chinese government," he said on television without giving any further reasons. He said a new day would be announced shortly.
Last week Trade Minister Martin Perez said the pact, signed in April and ratified last month, would go into effect on January 15, two weeks ahead of schedule.
The deal will lead to the gradual removal of tariffs on more than 90 percent of goods ranging from Chinese electronic products and machinery to Peruvian fishmeal and minerals, according to Xinhua news agency.
Under the accord, the two nations also pledged to further open their service sectors and offer favorable treatment to investors.
China has become mineral-rich Peru's second-largest trading partner after the United States.
Peru is a major producer of lead, zinc, copper, tin and gold. Bilateral trade totaled about 6.46 billion dollars in the first 10 months of last year, according to figures published by the Chinese commerce ministry.
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