«This week we are starting our trip to various Asian markets, where we will carry out a packed agenda of meetings and visits that will allow us to visualize possible challenges, as well as opportunities for our fresh fruit exports for the 2023-2024 season. All of this, responding to our strategy of addressing issues that are of interest to the sector in a proactive and united manner, both with the national and international public sector, as well as other national exporting associations, such as Sofofa and the authorities of ProChile and the Agricultural and Livestock Service», said the president of Asoex, Iván Marambio.
Marambio explained that the first country they will visit will be China, where they will stay from June 11 to 18. "In China, we will meet - in Shanghai - with our collaborators from our office, as well as with the agencies that support us with promotional actions and market studies in that country. Our objective is to jointly analyze the results obtained last season, as well as identify the main opportunities and threats for this new season, in order to outline a 3-year work strategy. Likewise, we will review the proposals for the promotional campaigns of our fruits for 2023-2024, with special emphasis on cherries, a sector that invests nearly 5 million dollars in actions in this market alone," he noted.
The leader pointed out that they will also visit Beijing, where they will meet with representatives of Chinese retail chains, wholesale markets and e-commerce, adding that they will also hold "meetings with representatives of the Chinese Customs, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China. In addition to the Chilean Ambassador to China, along with the agricultural attaché and the commercial attaché of our country in this country."
It is worth noting that in the 2021-2022 season, China was positioned as the second destination for Chilean fresh fruit, with 563,331 tons. The main species shipped were cherries (561 TP3T of the total exported), plums (171 TP3T), table grapes (141 TP3T), nectarines (71 TP3T), apples and avocados (21 TP3T, each) and blueberries (11 TP3T, respectively), among others.
India
Iván Marambio also highlighted the public-private trip to India, which they will undertake together with ProChile and Sofofa, and in which they will hold a series of meetings – in New Delhi and Mumbai – to explore opportunities and strengthen relations with importers, distributors and buyers of national fruits. This visit will last from June 19 to 23.
«When we launched the 2022-2023 season, together with the Minister of Agriculture, we said that India was a strategic market for our sector, and that together with the public sector, various actions would be planned to strengthen it, this mission being one of them. India has become one of the fastest growing economies in the world. It is expected to be one of the three main economic powers in the world in the next 10 to 15 years, therefore, it is key to visit this market in order to establish a proactive strategy to address it,» commented the president of ASOEX.
He added: “Last season we sent 51,434 tons of fresh fruit to India. This figure has a great potential for growth, not only because it has a significant population, with a growing middle class and greater purchasing power, but also because there is a culture of healthy eating, where fruit consumption is encouraged. For example, our kiwis are highly sought after for their contribution to health and the control of Dengue.”
However, he pointed out, "there are some tariff issues that need to be improved, as well as logistics nodes, since there is no optimized maritime route, and air routes imply high costs, and therefore, a high price for consumers. Therefore, this visit is key to visualize possible solutions together with representatives of the chain in that country."
Marambio pointed out that, “In addition, our cherries enter the Indian market with a tariff of 0%, which gives it an important competitive advantage over its competitors who can have a tariff of 30%. Chile has exported cherries to India in small volumes since before 2010. In the 2015-2016 season, Chile sent 24 tons of cherries to India, a volume that has consistently increased to reach 460 tons in 2022-2023. Therefore, this visit will allow us to have a better view of the market potential and the real logistics situation.”
Market Openings and Income Improvements
But the visit of ASOEX is also related to participating, together with the SAG, in issues of market opening and improvements in the conditions of entry of Chilean fruits that are currently authorized to enter. A task that will be carried out by Miguel Canala-Echerría, general manager of ASOEX, who will visit China from June 13 to 18, and Japan from June 20 to 26.
«In China, we will be in Beijing and Shanghai, where we will meet, together with professionals from the Agricultural and Livestock Service (SAG), with authorities from the Chinese Customs, specifically from the departments of Animals and Plants; Imported Foods and General Affairs, with whom we will analyze various topics such as the protocol to advance the opening of exports for all our peaches, the update of the agreement for maritime-air shipments, and electronic certification to facilitate and expedite documentary processes between both countries, among other topics,» Canala-Echeverría said.
The ASOEX manager added that in the case of Japan, they will meet with professionals from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), “with whom we will advance in the process of entry of apples and electronic certification, along with visiting the facilities of the port of Osaka, with the objective of making contact with the authorities that control the entry of our fruits.”
Finally, the ASOEX representative added that, during the 2021-2022 fruit export season, Chile sent 32,609 tons of fresh fruit to Japan. Table grapes accounted for 881 TP3T of this volume, followed by kiwis 61 TP3T, lemons 41 TP3T, blueberries 21 TP3T and cherries 11 TP3T.
