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This year’s report does not contain significant changes from last year’s report. Chile continues allowing the reproduction of seeds under strict control of the Agricultural and Livestock Service (SAG) of the Ministry of Agriculture.

This report provides an overview of Chile’s current Sanitary Regulation for Food Products (known as RSA by its name in Spanish), as well as any other regulations with potential to disrupting food trade. Since the last version of this report in 2023, Chile updated the list of maximum residue levels of pesticides in food products.

This report lists and describes certificate and other documents that must accompany food and agricultural imports to Chile as required by Chilean regulations. Since the last version of this report in 2023, The United States and Chile negotiated the new attestations for dairy products.

In July 2024, USDA published the final notice allowing certain table grapes to be safely imported by the United States from parts of Chile. The new requirements will allow table grapes from areas of Chile where European grapevine moth is either absent or at a low prevalence and will also protect U.S. agriculture from Chilean false red mite.

The Chilean dairy sector is crucial to the economy, producing milk, cheese, butter, yogurt, and powdered milk. In marketing year (MY) 2024, milk receipts increased by two percent to 1,293 million liters, and fluid milk production rose by seven percent.

In 2023, the Chilean retail food industry witnessed a moderate recovery, with total sales reaching approximately $28.5 billion, a 2.3 percent increase over 2022. The Chilean retail sector is made up of large supermarkets, mid-sized grocery stores, convenience stores, and thousands of smaller independent mom-and-pop shops.

Post projects increased production in both walnuts and almonds in marketing year (MY) 2024/25 due to high yields caused by plentiful rainfall and favorable temperatures. Post estimates walnut production will reach 195,000 metric tons (MT) in MY 2024/25, a 11.4 percent increase year over year.

For the past decade, Chile’s planted cherry area maintained steady growth, due to its profitability. There is a high demand for Chilean cherries from the Chinese market, which receives over 91 percent of Chilean cherry export volume.

Chilean raisins are almost exclusively produced from grapes deemed unsuitable for the export market at vineyards focused on fresh table grape production for export. In marketing year (MY) 2024/25, Post estimates that due to low area planted, raisin production will total 68,900 metric tons (MT), a 6.9 percent decrease from MY 2023/24.

Chile offers excellent export opportunities for U.S. food and beverage exporters. With the highest per capita GDP in Latin America, Chile is a growing export market for U.S. food suppliers, and a strong trading partner.

This report provides a comprehensive overview of the sweets and snack industry in Chile, highlighting its main players, consumption trends, regulations, and related international trade. The industry is robust and competitive balancing local production and imports. Innovation and adaption to consumption trends are key to the sector's continued growth.

In marketing year (MY) 2023/24, with an increasing trend in area planted and assuming regular yields, Post estimates lemon production to grow by 6.7 percent and reach 175,000 (MT) metric tons. Chilean lemon exports will increase 8.8 percent, totaling 74,000 metric tons.