The Foreign Trade Society of Peru (ComexPeru), stated that non-traditional exports have begun to increase. In this category, blueberries had the highest rate of expansion in 2016.
Grapes
ComexPeru highlighted that, by 2016, grapes were Peru's main non-traditional export product, and that the country had exported a total of 290,000 tons of this fruit, valued at 654.9 million dollars, that year.
Even though this volume was 7.5% lower than the country shipped in 2015, it represented 6% of the country's total non-traditional exports in 2016 (followed by asparagus shipments, which accounted for 3.8%).
Peruvian exports of fresh grapes recorded an uninterrupted growth until 2015, with an average annual growth rate of 30.1% and, in 2012, surpassed exports of asparagus, which used to be the main non-traditional export product.
Peru currently sends its grapes to 60 countries around the world. The US is the main destination (38%), followed by the Netherlands (11%), Hong Kong (10%), and China (8%).
In 2016, grape exports contracted in almost all major destinations, except in the United States, where they grew by 15% over 2015, and Mexico, where they grew by 341%.
Blueberry boom
"5,100 items comprise the non-traditional category and the product that had the most interesting growth in export levels, when compared to 2015, were the blueberries," ComexPeru stated.
In 2016, blueberry exports amounted to 234.4 million dollars, i.e. 151% more than in the previous year, which allowed them to be ranked as one of the top ten non-traditional export products. Blueberries ranked fifth (in 2015 they were in the 21st position), displacing other products such as zinc, mangoes, and cocoa beans.
Peruvian blueberries are shipped mainly to the US (54%), the Netherlands (23%) and the UK (14%). In 2016, the country shipped them to eight new destinations, including Panama, Ireland, Chile, and Turkey. Blueberry shipments to all destinations, without exception, increased in 2016.
Blueberry shipments to the US increased by 146%, to the UK by 182%, and to Canada by 1,669%, to name a few.
Blueberry exports have had an explosive growth in the last three years and have very promising prospects.
Source: Agencia Andina