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Chile offers excellent export opportunities for U.S. food and beverage exporters. With the highest per capita GDP in Latin America, Chile is a growing export market for U.S. food suppliers, and a strong trading partner.

This report provides a comprehensive overview of the sweets and snack industry in Chile, highlighting its main players, consumption trends, regulations, and related international trade. The industry is robust and competitive balancing local production and imports. Innovation and adaption to consumption trends are key to the sector's continued growth.

In marketing year (MY) 2023/24, with an increasing trend in area planted and assuming regular yields, Post estimates lemon production to grow by 6.7 percent and reach 175,000 (MT) metric tons. Chilean lemon exports will increase 8.8 percent, totaling 74,000 metric tons.

In marketing year (MY) 2023/24, higher than normal temperatures early in the winter and a slow accumulation of chilling hours caused a delay in the harvest, and subsequently a delay in export shipment, of most deciduous fruit.

On July 7, 2024, Chile’s new alcoholic beverages labeling law will come into force. The law aims to warn drivers, pregnant women, and minors about the impacts of consuming alcohol and to restrict the advertisements that could be directed to minors.

Chile has a modern and developed food and beverage processing industry. The Chilean food sector is the second most relevant export sector in the country after mining. There are significant opportunities for imported food ingredients in Chile, as half of all ingredients used by the food processing industry are imported.

For MY 2024/25, Post estimates that wheat area harvested will total 195,000 hectares (ha), a 2.5 percent decrease from MY 2023/24 to due to high input costs and low prices. Wheat production will reach 1.17 million metric tons (MMT).

In 2024, political uncertainty will continue to diminish, and GDP will grow between 1.25 and 2.25 percent due to a recovery in consumption. This will bring opportunities for U.S. exporters looking to ship products to Chile. Agricultural GDP grew firmly in the past three years, reaching $28.9 billion in 2023.

Chile presents excellent export opportunities for U.S. food and beverage exporters. After record-setting exports in 2021, shipments of U.S. agricultural and related products to Chile reached $1.1 billion in 2022.

In marketing year (MY) 2023/24, Post projects lemon production to grow by 6.7 percent and reach 175,000 metric tons (MT) due to high profits and an increase in area planted.

On December 13, 2023, Chile and the European Union (EU) signed an updated Free Trade Agreement, or Advanced Framework Agreement as it is currently termed. The new agreement expands market access for Chilean products to the European market and grants expansive protections for 216 geographical indications (GIs), including many commonly used names like feta, gruyere, kölsch, and parmesan.

This year’s report does not contain significant changes from last year’s report. Chile continues allowing the reproduction of seeds under strict control of the Agricultural and Livestock Service (SAG) of the Ministry of Agriculture.