The large British community, dedicated mainly to foreign trade, was organized in the British Chamber of Commerce, founded in 1917 with the participation of about 30 companies. These included prominent banks and trading houses, along with other traditional port firms such as Allardice & Co, Betteley & Co. Ltd., Bushell & Co., Duncan Fox & Co., Buchanan Jones & Co., and Lazonby & Co. ., among others. By 1927, the institution had more than 200 registered members and had established branches in cities such as Iquique, Antofagasta, Concepción and Valdivia. At that time the presidency was held by W. O. Simon, with A. R. Balfour as vice-president. Councilors included names such as David Blair, A. P. Colquhoun, F. Evans, A. Foden, C. B. D. Fox, E. W. Gubbins, W. J. Hardy, A. L. S. Jackson, Thos Linley, W. C. Maycock, H. Nation, H. V. Prentice, Geo Proud, J. R. Ross , F. C. Ross-Brown, W. F. Stanton, and C. K. Walbaum.

The creation of this chamber was linked to the events of the First World War. Until then, British merchants were part of the Valparaíso Chamber of Commerce, an inclusive institution that brought together local commerce without ethnic distinctions and with a notable participation of German merchants. It was the British consul Maclean who promoted the founding of a British ethnic chamber, initially facing some resistance from merchants. At the end of its first year, the new Chamber had 234 members distributed in various locations throughout the country.

British merchants covered a wide variety of sectors, and among the businesses that stood out were those that managed to maintain themselves during the first half of the 20th century, representing an example of the diversity of their economic activities.