At the beginning of the eighties, Chile registered agricultural industrial exportation for a bit more than US$ 30 millions. In 1996, that value increased up to US$ 612 millions. Later, in the period between 1996 and 2002, an international crisis brought down sale values, eventhough the expansion of exportation volumes kept the same. Now our country is experimenting an increasing spiral with uncommon values. During 2004, figures went up to US$ 717 millions and the final projection for year 2005 is to reach the record of US$ 810 millions.

Canned food, dehydrates, frozen food and juice sectors have had, through time, a clear focus on exportation, showing a more than accelerate development during last 20 years.

Processed food exportations are sent to almost every country in the world with demand potential, being the most important markets the ones located in North America, South America and specially Japan in Asia. (Source: Sofofa)

The importance of processed food for the country development is understood in its whole extension when analysing the volume of fruits and vegetables used by the sector. An esteem made by Chilealimentos for the period 1996-2000 indicates that, according to agriculture and industrial factors of consumption, process plants manufacture products which represent the 52% from fruits and vegetables produced by the country, fact that is equivalent, in terms of surface, to the 57% of plantations existing in the country. (Source: Chilealimentos, based in data from Odepa and USDA)

Agriculture and Industrial activity in Chile has a multiplying effect nationwide. There are 201 plants in Chile, according to the land registry of Agriculture-Industrial plants made by Chilealimentos in 55the year 2001. Regions with the highest concentration in manufacturing installations are Metropolitan Region, VII and VI regions.(Source: Land registry of Agriculture- Industrial 2001, Chilealimentos)

Future perspectives point out that agriculture-industrial sectors represented by Chilealimentos will go on in expansion, because of benefits accomplished in commercial agreements subscribed, specially with EU, EE.UU, Korea and EFTA countries. If the sector recovers historical increasing rates in exportations, Chile will be able to export processed food for more than US$ 2.000 millions near year 2010. This figure is perfectly possible if analyzing schedule of tariff elimination that agriculture-industrial products will have in the future. In fact, commercial progressive policies for these kind of products are limited and the tariffs abroad are high. All of them will drop to zero within 4 to 12 years, so potential market for Chilean products will broaden substantially in the near future. (Source: Chilealimentos)