Newsletter #1 ProChile in Southeast Asia

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A Year of Challenges for Economics Revival

As the Chilean Trade Commission, we are always working to strengthen the existing commercial relations between Chilean and Southeast Asia’s business community, as well as finding and effective ways to connect with Chilean suppliers of our huge variety of products.

It goes without saying that importers are of outstanding value for us, since they are the ones that sell our products to final costumers. In this sense, we try to include them in every event and promotion activity that we carry out. Being cooperative and working together is the best way to enhance our relationship and find new and better ways to increase the local demand of the Chilean products. We work hard to come out with win-win programs in which all parties end up satisfied.

Despite the impact the pandemic has had on various aspects of life, Chile’s industry and supply chains have remained active throughout these months, complying with the highest safety protocols and international commitments, while implementing a series of measures to maintain the standards that make our products be available in the best restaurants and cuisines around the world.

As for business, as soon as we realized that this was going to be a hard year for the global economy and exports worldwide, we knew that a different approach would be required. As you may know, Chile has 56 Trade Commissions (ProChile offices) in different countries around the world, and the SEA countries are not an exception.

In this context, we decided to work on a regional strategic approach in which we can work as regional teams, following almost the same schedule in terms of promotion activities and mainly focusing in e-commerce. This was a great challenge but we needed to figure out a way to take the pandemic as an opportunity to innovate and be the first choice, and we found it in e-commerce.

With the pandemic and social distancing, many industries began to slow down, however, the healthy food industry, which is a big trend today, has propelled thanks to the increased trend of consumers to order food through e-commerce channels. This is why our main strategy is to prioritize promotional activities and raise awareness among internet users in SEA, and it is going very good so far.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, as most of the international businesses and institutions, we’ve been facing great challenges to support our asian partners and buyers of Chilean products. In response to that, ProChile has developed a series of virtual activities (online workshops, webinars, virtual B2B meetings, and also e-fair) that allow us to connect Chilean companies to international importers, as well as introducing the great products that Chile has. This could help Southeast Asia’s importers to generate new business and also enabling them to find more commercial commitments. Moreover, it’s also the consolidation of our commitment with the Digital Transformation to bring you Chile closer, which we began in 2018 and seek to consolidate this year.

Aligned with ProChile’s main work pillars for 2021—which is sustainability and innovation—in the first half of 2021 we presented a series of activities from online workshops, webinars, virtual B2B meetings, and also e-fair. This could help South East Asia’s importers to generate new business and also enabling them to find more commercial commitments. Moreover, it’s also the consolidation of our commitment with the Digital Transformation to bring you Chile closer, which we began in 2018 and seek to consolidate this year.

This transformation prompted us to adopt a new digital culture and a continuous improvement in the services we deliver to importers and entrepreneurs who have contact with our institution around the world.

As for initiatives, we focus our work in diverse matching activities aiming to connect importers with Chilean exporters, as well as a lot of different promotion events in which we look to raise awareness about Chilean food among final consumers and the different regional markets in general.

Flavors of Chile
Nuts, Frozen & Dried Fruits Industries: May 4th–7th, 27th–28th 2021

As for initiatives, we focus our work in diverse matching activities aiming to connect importers with Chilean exporters, as well as a lot of different promotion events in which we look to raise awareness about Chilean food among final consumers and the different regional markets in general.

Expo: "Chile Virtual Expo - Services"
May 11th–13th 2021, Online Event

Back in May, we held an inaugural expo focusing on the services sector through "Chile Virtual Expo - Services". This event aimed to bring a unique opportunity and introduce audience to the great diversity that Chilean service providers can offer to international markets.

Workhop: “Nuts, Frozen & Dried Fruits From Chile”
June 8 2021, Jakarta

Continuing our #ProChile activities around the world, on 8th June 2021, we held a workshop focusing on nuts, frozen and dried fruits from Chile in Jakarta—where our world-class exportable offer was presented to the main Indonesian food importers. This event aims to generate awareness of our exportable offer and help to boost Chilean industry in these sectors.

E-Fair Chile Virtual Expo Tourism
June 8 – 10 2021, Online Event

Chile is back! From June 8th to June 10th, ProChile, along with Sernatur and also the Undersecretary of Tourism, presented the first fully digital travel trade show “Chile Virtual Expo Tourism” which showcased Chile’s vast tourism and Chilean export companies. Around 200 Chilean businesses that operate in the travel sector presented their offers on Chile tourist attractions through product catalogs and videos on their virtual stands.

Workshop: "Advances of the Aquaculture and Fishing Industry in Chile"
June 8 2021, Online Event

In association with Chilean seafood industry experts, ProChile held a free online workshop "Advances of the Aquaculture and Fishing Industry in Chile" on June 8th, 2021. Through this workshop, we discussed several issues from salmon farming and the salmon industry, mussel farming, and industrial fishing sustainability.

A SLICE FROM CHILE
Chilean Walnuts No 2 in World Exports

Walnut production in Chile has undergone significant growth over the past 10 years. It has grown from 31,471 tons in 2010 to 138,907 tons in 2020, making Chile the second biggest walnut exporter worldwide. And this year, Chilean walnuts have the greatest quality, thanks to warm summer temperatures right before harvest time. The +32 size walnuts experienced an 11% increase compared to last year’s sizes, and also in terms of colors and yield. It would be no surprise if next season our exports grow significantly again, thanks to these top-quality Chilean walnuts.

Current Situation from Chilean Prunes Industry

For a few years, Chile remains the number 1 exporter of premium prunes globally with a presence in every continent. However, at the end of January 2021, heavy rains impacted the production area, which turned the season into disastrous, with important percentage of fruit falling to the ground. Additionally, the low temperatures after the rains affected the drying process. As a result, in Chile, there was a significant decrease in supply during this past season, estimated at -40%, a harvest of only 42,000 tons, and estimated exports of no more than 35,000 tons.

For your information, until May 2021, Mexico becomes the top export market from Chile, with 2,150,411 kgs followed by Poland with 1,404,904 kgs.

Chilean cherries present in Thailand’s Bangkok subway
January 2021

In order to promote the arrival of cherries to the Thai market, and inform consumers of their availability and health contributions, the Committee of Chile Cherries, which operates under the sponsorship of the Association of Fruit Exporters of Chile AG (ASOEX), together with ProChile, inaugurated an advertising campaign in Bangkok’s subway.

Highlighting Its Sweet Taste and Health Benefits:
Chilean Cherries Land for the First Time in Vietnam

The Chilean Cherry Committee, which operates under the sponsorship of the Association of Fruit Exporters of Chile AG (ASOEX), together with ProChile and the Chilean Embassy in Vietnam, launched the first marketing campaign in Vietnam. The activity was focused on supporting and celebrating these first exports to this important Asian market.

ASEAN FROM THE PERSPECTIVE
OF THE CHILEAN FOOD INDUSTRY

The Chilean Fruit Exporters Association (ASOEX) is a non-profit private entity representing Chile’s fresh fruit growers and exporters. Our membership base consists of exporters who have their own fruit, as well as traders of fruit from third parties. Together, they represent 96% of all fresh fruit exported from Chile. To learn more about ASOEX, please visit: www.asoex.cl

Chile has been exporting fruit for hundreds of years. With all the experience gained during this time, it’s no wonder Chile is recognized not only as the largest fruit exporter in the Southern Hemisphere, but also as one of the world’s premier fruit suppliers. Chile exports more than 2.6 million tons of fruit annually to more than 100 countries across the globe. As they say in Spanish, “¡Increible!”.

Each bite into a tasty piece of fresh Chilean fruit comes with the knowledge that it meets or exceeds global requirements and safety standards. In winter, Chile boasts fresh fruit favorites like grapes, cherries, kiwifruits blueberries, citrus apples, pears, peaches, plums, and nectarines, amongst others.

From kids’ lunches and dining room fruit bowls to restaurant menus and produce markets, Chilean fresh fruit options abound, all year round.

Chile – the one place for everything fresh!

Ronald Bown F.
Chairman of the Board
Chilean Fruit Exporters Association

It is a privilege for us to be invited to participate in this inaugural edition of the ASEAN ProChile newsletter.

The Chilean Fruit Exporters Association (ASOEX) is a non-profit private entity representing Chile’s fresh fruit growers and exporters. Our membership base consists of exporters who have their own fruit, as well as traders of fruit from third parties. Together, they represent 96% of all fresh fruit exported from Chile.

Chile has been exporting fruit for hundreds of years. With all the experience gained during this time, it’s no wonder Chile is recognized not only as the largest fruit exporter in the Southern Hemisphere, but also as one of the world’s premier fruit suppliers. Chile exports some 2.6 million tons of fruit annually to more than 100 countries across the globe.

Over the past decades, we have seen Asia become one of our industries leading export destinations and the countries that from part of the ASEAN community, have begun to demand an array of imported fruits, which Chile is well positioned to supply.

During last season, our industry exported 25% of its fruit exports to the Asian region, positioning it as the second most import export market for our global fruit sendings. Chile boasts fresh fruit favorites like grapes, cherries, kiwifruits, blueberries, citrus, apples, pears, plums, and nectarines, amongst others.

These past few months have been a challenging time for all, especially considering the global pandemic which has affect us all. Our industry has had to adapt to this new reality, and we have made important adjustments to the ways in which we maintain connected with such important markets as ASEAN. For example, along with the Chilean Export Promotional Agency, ProChile we will be launching for second year running, our virtual e-mission which will have as a special focus ASEAN and in which we will be coordinating 292 bilateral meetings between members of our entity with more than 50 produce importers.

ASEAN will remain an important part of the Chilean fruit export strategy and we are committed to facilitating the expansion of our exports to this important community of countries and supporting local distributors strengthen their trade relations with our members.

We wish you all a safe and fruitful beginning to the Chilean fruit season 2021!