Chile is strengthening its trade strategy in Asia with a new institutional mission dedicated to fresh fruit.
The aim is to make exports more efficient, reduce phytosanitary barriers and secure more flexible logistics conditions in several priority Asian markets.
The mission, scheduled for August, will be led by Undersecretary of Agriculture Francesco Venezian and will include stops in China, Vietnam and Indonesia.
During the trip, the delegation will formalize technical agreements already negotiated by the Agricultural and Livestock Service (SAG), together with Frutas de Chile and the health and customs authorities of the countries involved.
According to Venezian, the visit will help finalize agreements aimed at facilitating Chilean fruit exports.
The mission’s priorities were defined together with the export sector and focus on three closely related areas: phytosanitary requirements, operational management and trade development.
The competitiveness of Chile’s fruit industry increasingly depends on the availability of phytosanitary protocols compatible with the timelines and requirements of international trade.
In 2025, the sector reached a record export value of US$8.63 billion (approximately €7.551 billion). Fresh cherries alone generated US$3.38 billion (approximately €2.957 billion), accounting for 39% of the total.
These figures confirm the sector’s economic importance, but also highlight the need to reduce procedures and constraints that can affect logistics costs, transit times and fruit quality upon arrival.
In China, Chile’s main trading partner, the delegation aims to formalize an agreement that will simplify procedures and provide greater flexibility in logistics operations.
Discussions will cover the use of ships’ cargo holds, labelling, fruit handling, and cold and temperature treatments. These are particularly important issues for delicate and highly perishable products such as fresh cherries.
The mission will also address quarantine treatment and restrictions applied in the event of fruit fly outbreaks with China’s General Administration of Customs.
Any changes to these provisions could have a direct impact on the organization of shipments, the costs incurred by exporters and the quality of the final product.
In Vietnam, the main issue concerns air exports of cherries. Chile wants to secure permission to ship the fruit without the current requirement for 28 days of cold treatment.
Removing this requirement would help preserve fruit quality and make the most of the rapid deliveries provided by air transport.
At the same time, the Chilean authorities intend to accelerate access to the Vietnamese market for kiwifruit and blueberries. As part of this process, representatives from Vietnam are expected to make a technical visit to Chile in 2027 to assess the systems managed by SAG.
Interest in the country reflects the broader growth of Southeast Asia. In 2025, Chilean exports to ASEAN, excluding copper and lithium, reached US$986 million (approximately €863 million), representing an increase of 86% over the past decade.
In Indonesia, Chile will seek recognition of its fruit fly-free areas. The delegation will also work to facilitate market access for mandarins and oranges.
This process follows the signing of a phytosanitary protocol for lemons in July 2025. A further step was taken in February 2026, when the Indonesian Quarantine Agency conducted inspections at Santiago airport.
The recognition of Chile as a country free from fruit fly is now the next step towards expanding the range of fruit and vegetables supplied to the Indonesian market.
The mission will also include bilateral meetings with agricultural authorities during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, APEC.
Particular attention will be given to relations with South Korea, Japan, the Philippines and Mexico. For the South Korean market, the Chilean sector intends to prioritize market access for fresh plums.
With Japan, meanwhile, Chile will reaffirm its commitment to meeting the high standards required for quality and food safety.
Chile’s strategy highlights how the formal opening of an export destination is not sufficient on its own to guarantee export success.
Competitiveness also depends on the ability of phytosanitary protocols to enable efficient operations, sustainable transit times and suitable fruit storage conditions.
The agreements expected with China, Vietnam and Indonesia could therefore affect not only access to Asian markets, but also the quality of logistics services and the ability of the Chilean supply chain to enhance the value of cherries, citrus fruit, kiwifruit, blueberries and other products in the coming years.
Text and image source: logistica360chile.cl
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