A high-level delegation of Chile's public and private sectors will head to New Delhi and Mumbai to participate in the Chile Summit India 2024 from August 27 to the 30. This event, organized by ProChile, aims to strengthen institutional ties and explore opportunities for trade cooperation between Chile and India, the third economic power in Asia and the fifth worldwide.
This is Chile's most significant visit to India since 2019. Foreign Minister Alberto van Klaveren, the Minister of Agriculture Esteban Valenzuela, and the Director General of ProChile will lead the mission. They will be accompanied by more than 10 private sector guilds, including representatives of SOFOFA, the National Agricultural Society (SNA), the Chamber of Commerce of Santiago (CCS), and several others dedicated to the production of fruits, nuts, salmon, and other sectors.
Foreign Minister Alberto Van Klaveren stressed the importance of this event as a milestone in Chile's positioning in the Indian market, highlighting the Chilean government's commitment to strengthening bilateral relations. The Minister of Agriculture, Esteban Valenzuela, emphasized the opportunities for the Chilean wine and meat industry in India, highlighting the efforts to reduce tariffs for nuts and fruits; some of the country's priority export products.
Ignacio Fernández, general director of ProChile, mentioned that the Chile Summit India is part of Chile's export diversification strategy, highlighting the potential of high-quality food products and creative industries in the Indian market. The private sector sees the visit as a crucial opportunity to strengthen bilateral trade. Ivan Marambio, president of Frutas de Chile, highlighted the relevance of this mission for Chile's trade aspirations in India.
Frutas de Chile's Committees will be represented by Andrés Armstrong, executive director of the Blueberry Committee; Carlos Cruzat, president of the Kiwi Committee, and Claudia Soler, executive director of the Cherry Committee.
Marambio also highlighted the significant growth in Chile's fruit exports to India during the 2023-2024 season. So far this season, India has received 41,074 tons of fresh Chilean fruits, i.e. 39% more than in the same period of last year. Exports to India account for 6% of all Chilean fresh fruit shipments to Asia, making it the third most important destination in the region for Chile. Chile currently exports apples, kiwis, pears, blueberries, and cherries to this market, some of which have great growth potential, according to Marambio.
This joint effort between the public and private sectors underscores the importance of India as a strategic market for the Chilean fruit industry reinforcing Chile's commitment to strengthening and deepening trade relations with one of the largest and fastest-growing economies in the world.
Source: simfruit.cl