Agroindustry, iron and steel and metalworking recorded historic amounts, according to Adex.
Peruvian exports amounted to US$60.168 billion between January and October 2024, reflecting an increase of 14.5% compared to the same period in 2023 (US$52.540 billion), reported the Association of Exporters (Adex).
Exports were mainly driven by positive performance in the past six months, reported the Adex Cien-Adex Global Economy and Business Research Center.
In fact, the union detailed that in October alone shipments amounted to 6.45 billion dollars (increase of 12.5%), being the sixth consecutive month with growth: 27.7% in May, 12% in June, 37.2% in July, 28.8% in August and 17% in September.
Although the cumulative figure is positive, the president of the union, Julio Pérez Alván, expressed his concern about the fall in 5 sectors in these 10 months: textiles (-1.2%), fishing for direct human consumption (-24.2%), non-metallic mining (-12.8%) and wood (-14%). In addition, in the primary sector, hydrocarbons fell (-3.0%).
However, he highlighted that other sectors such as agro-industry, iron and steel and metalworking recorded historic amounts.
Detail
According to its Export Report – October 2024, traditional shipments amounted to 43.982 billion dollars, reflecting an increase of 16.4%.
The mining sector grew positively with 37.451 billion dollars (15%), primary fishing with 2.130 billion (104%) and agriculture with 1.001 billion (50.3%), while hydrocarbons (3.400 billion) fell 3.4%.
The offer consisted of copper and gold, which together accounted for 61.4% of this portfolio. Refined copper cathodes, iron, fish meal, molybdenum, zinc, natural gas, lead and silver were also included. They were mainly shipped to China (20.298 billion dollars), followed by India, Canada, Japan, the USA, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, South Korea, Brazil and Chile.
Non-traditional sectors (US$16.186 billion) experienced a 9.7% growth compared to the same period in 2023 (US$14.749 billion). The report indicated that 6 of its 10 subsectors had a good result: agroindustry (20.7%), clothing (2%), metalworking (4.5%), chemicals (10.7%), iron and steel (17.5%) and miscellaneous (19.3%).
The item that stood out in terms of FOB amount was blueberries ($1.64 billion) with a 10.1% share and an increase of 50.7%. Others were avocados, grapes, cocoa beans, natural calcium phosphates, refined copper wire, asparagus, frozen squid, mandarins and unalloyed zinc.
The United States (US$4.873 billion) was the leading destination, accounting for 30.1% of the total exported to the world by this sector, experiencing an increase of 15%. The top ten was completed by the Netherlands, Chile, Spain, Ecuador, Colombia, Mexico, Brazil, China and the United Kingdom.
Finally, the Lima and Callao area exported 14.527 billion dollars (increase of 17.2%) and accounted for 24.1% of the total exported. The Coastal area, which represented more than half of the shipments (51%), had an increase of 11.7%. Those of the Andean area rose 17.2% and continued to account for nearly a quarter of Peruvian exports (23.4%).
Despite this aggregate result in the Andean regions, shipments from Apurímac and Huancavelica decreased, according to Adex. Basically, these regions had copper and its concentrates and avocados as their main export products, respectively, it added.
The trade balance (January-October) closed with a surplus of 15,074 million dollars. Exports totaled 60,168 million dollars and imports 45,094 million.
