The regional director of ProChile in El Maule, Esteban Díaz-Muñoz S., highlighted how the region is now shipping cherries to South Korea from Puerto Coronel, underlining the importance of diversifying logistics routes to strengthen export competitiveness.
Cherries are El Maule's main export product, with shipments worth US$ 890 million in 2025. Of this, 92% went to China, while 1.4% went to the United States, another 1.4% to Chinese Taipei, and 1.3% to South Korea.
In the specific case of the South Korean market, the value of El Maule's cherry shipments reached US$ 12 million last year, which represents a growth of 79% compared to 2024. ProChile highlighted that this is an important destination for the regional supply, including products such as frozen blueberries, fresh grapes, bottled wine, apple juice, and avocados.
"El Maule's fresh fruit is mainly exported through the ports of the Valparaíso region, so using the terminals of the Biobío region represents a real opportunity to strengthen regional logistics connectivity," said Díaz-Muñoz.
Exporter El Cisne, based in the commune of Teno, is the one responsible for those shipments, and although it has been operating for years in South Korea, this is the first season in which shipments have been made from Puerto Coronel; an experience that has been positively rated by the company.
Alejandro Becerra, commercial manager of the exporter El Cisne, said that "the decision to start exporting to South Korea from Puerto Coronel has been made in the framework of a long-term strategy based on market and logistical diversification." He added that the company already has a solid track record in the South Korean market since 2017, but that operating from this Biobío terminal is allowing it to reduce risks in high season, improve operational efficiency, and move towards a more resilient, competitive, and sustainable export chain.
For his part, Javier Lobo, commercial manager of Puerto Coronel, considers the shipment of a cherry container from Teno to South Korea in January a significant step forward for central-southern Chile's connectivity and export development. He also indicated that the terminal has the logistical and operational capacity necessary to consolidate itself as a strategic alternative for El Maule's fruit exporters.
In this context, it was also reported that on April 29th, the Second Seminar for Exporters will be held in Puerto Coronel. The event will be organized together with ProChile and will serve to share experiences, analyze market trends, and strengthen collaborative networks in the export sector.
For more information:
ProChile
www.prochile.gob.cl
