PMA Around the Americas

Chile: Premier in Production &

Promotion

Attention to quality, safety, logistics, and consumer needs on the production side, as well as strong promotions, research, and partnerships with buyers for marketing and merchandising, have fueled and sustained Chilean exports growth.

By Nancy Tucker NTucker@pma.com

Chilean Fruit Exports Success by the Ton

In 1541, Spanish conquistador Pedro de Valdivia described the country of Chile to King Charles V as “the best and most fertile land in the world.” Chile has gone on to capitalize on this great natural resource to become a powerful exporting nation.

In addition to the rich land, Chile’s geographic isolation has contributed to its success. Chile has been called a phytosanitary island.

Its broad diversity of products is another product of geography. The lon-gest and narrowest country in the world (more than 2,700 miles from north to south) contains within it a wide variety of climates that lend themselves to growing a stunning assortment of products, including citrus, grapes, tree fruit, apples, avocados, berries, and more.

2,500,000

Worldwide To The U.S.

2,000,000

1,500,000

1,000,000

500,000

0

2000-2001 2001-2002 2002-2003 2003-2004 2004-2005 2005-2006 2006-2007

Source: Worldwide Exports data prepared by the Chilean Export Association (ASOEX) from the inspection records developed by the export companies for submission to the Agriculture and Livestock Governmental Service (SAG); U.S. data from Department of Commerce, U. S. Census Bureau, Foreign Trade Statistics.

18

Fresh AMERICAS | Fine Produce for the USA | Fall 2007