The Brazilian market has surpassed Colombia and Ecuador as the main destination for Chilean apples, a historic milestone for the industry.
Brazil is a strategic hub for several Chilean exports, and amid trade conflicts, apples could gain an advantage.
During the first two months of 2025, the fruit sector recorded transactions totaling US$3.626 billion, setting a record value for a similar period.
This amount represented a 5.3% increase compared to the same period in 2024, representing 19.7% of the country's total exports, according to data from the Undersecretariat of International Economic Relations (SUBREI).
And while fresh cherries led the growth in foreign sales, apples were not far behind: their total shipments grew 51% during the aforementioned period.
The government has emphasized its interest in further strengthening ties with Brazil, and according to information published by the Fresh Fruit website, Chilean apples could gain an advantage over American apples in that market.
In fact, he indicated that the Brazilian market "has surpassed Colombia and Ecuador as the main destination for Chilean apples, a historic milestone for the industry."
The geographical proximity between the two countries contributes to this, lowering costs. This is expected to continue along positive paths as a result of the trade war and President Donald Trump's tariff policy.
The reason for the latter? A considerable number of apples from the US enter Brazil, which, unlike Chilean apples, entail higher shipping costs. Furthermore, the northern country's harvest season doesn't match Brazilian demand.
In the scenario of higher tariffs, therefore, the entry of products from the US into that South American country could decrease, while income from Chile could increase.
“Brazilian demand for Chilean apples is expected to increase by approximately 14.6% in the 2025 season alone, reaching 36,547 tons,” Fresh Fruit said.
Brazil also enjoys Chilean wine
In August of last year, the government announced that it had implemented electronic certification of wines for export to Brazil, thus streamlining and securing the export process.
Undersecretary of Agriculture Ignacia Fernández emphasized on that occasion that the Brazilian market "is Chile's main export market for wines today (...)".
In 2023, the Agricultural and Livestock Service (SAG) approved more than 51,900 wine export documents, of which certificates to Brazil accounted for approximately 30%.
Last year, meanwhile, Brazil became the main destination for bottled Chilean wine, with more than 64 million liters and a value equivalent to $174 million.
These figures, the government emphasized, represented 17% of the total exported volume and 14% in value, reflecting "a clear example of the importance of the Brazilian market."
