Chile exported more wines in China, its biggest trade partner, in the first quarter of 2021 as contingency measures in trade were enforced to curb disruptions caused by the ongoing pandemic.
Based on government data, some US$67.9 million worth of Chilean wines were brought to China from January to March, representing a 40.6% increase from the same quarter last year.
With overall quarterly export to China at US$8.57 billion, Customs director José Ignacio Palma said many of the pandemic-related control and inspection efforts were focused on trade with China, “the cornerstone of Chilean foreign trade.”
Due to disruptions caused by the coronavirus contagion, Chile’s wine exports to China last year fell by 26.5% to US$185.6 million compared to the previous year’s figure.
The Asian economy is the top destination for Chilean wine since the signing of a free trade pact in 2006, which boosted the commodity’s export value from US$5 million to US$250 million in over a decade. As of late, 201 wineries from the Latin American state were exporting products to China, with 20 of them holding offices there.
Chile Wine Exportation to China
Source: Chile National Customs Directorate