According to a statement made on Wednesday, at the launch ceremony held at the Embassy of Chile in China, the Chinese consumers will have the opportunity to taste Chilean plums and walnuts as these products won’t be taxed.
In the event, the commercial counsellor of the Embassy of Chile in China, Andreas Pierotic, made a brief presentation of Chile’s privileged geographical conditions and the good business relations between both countries.
Chile is considered as one of the few phytosanitary islands in the world, because it has natural barriers such as the Atacama Desert, the Andes, the Pacific Ocean and the Antarctica, which protect the Chilean agriculture from pests and external diseases. Additionally, Pierotic said, its mild Mediterranean climate and fertile soil help the fruit’s natural growth, which assure they get abundant nutritional benefits.
In 2005, Chile was the first South American country to sign a free trade agreement with China. Under this agreement, starting 2015 the Chilean prunes and walnuts won’t have to pay tariffs to enter the Chinese market, which gives them a significant competitive advantage over the American plums.
Andrés Rodríguez, CEO of Chile Prunes and CEO of the Chilean Nuts Commission, made a presentation of these products’ features and benefits.
According to Rodriguez, Chile is currently the world's largest exporter of plums and the third largest exporter of nuts. Chilean plums are very nutritious because they have a high content of antioxidants, fibre and potassium. Chile exports 65,000 tons a year to more than 70 countries.
The production of this fruit increased 17 percent year on year, reaching a total of 76,945 tons.
The quality of Chilean walnuts is widely recognized in the world, thanks to their high content of antioxidants and omega3. Chile is the only country in the Southern Hemisphere that exports this nut, which makes it an alternative when there is scarcity in the northern hemisphere, Rodriguez said.
As the plum and walnut harvest season approaches, Rodriguez said Chile expected to take cheaper and good quality products into the Chinese market this year.
Source: espanol.cri.cn