According to a report by the Undersecretariat of International Economic Relations (SUBREI) based on data from the Central Bank, between January and August 2020, Chile's trade exchange totaled 83.126 billion dollars, i.e. 12% less than in the first eight months of 2019.
More than 84% of the drop in trade is explained by the decline in imports, which continued to decline during the month of August by 22%. Exports, on the other hand, totaled 45.38 billion dollars in that period, i.e. 3.9% less than in the same period of 2019, considerably moderating the decline in previous periods. In August, the country's exports totaled 5.421 billion dollars, falling 11% over the same month in 2019.
The Undersecretary of International Economic Relations, Rodrigo Yañez, said that -despite the difficult international context in 2020- 1,389 products had increased their exports in August over the same month of 2019, including mandarins, kiwis, and oranges.
“Having the largest network of Free Trade Agreements in the world has allowed our exporters to enter the main economies of the world with preferential conditions as they have reactivated their productive and commercial activities. In August, exports to countries without a trade agreement fell by 17% while shipments to the countries we have an agreement with only fell by 3%, demonstrating the effectiveness of our network of FTAs,” he said.
It should be noted that citrus exports reached the peak of their season in August with shipments for 92 million dollars. This is the first year that Chile can export citrus to China, and the Asian Giant has positioning itself as the third export destination for this fruit (after the US and Japan).
"Trade openness, as well as achieving phytosanitary openings for our exportable offer are decisive factors for exporters to advance in the midst of the crisis," stressed the Undersecretary.
The regions that increased exports in the January to August period over the same period of 2019 are Atacama, Tarapaca, O'Higgins, Maule, Ñuble, and Araucania.
Source: Subrei / simfruit.cl