With an additional 10% tariff imposed by the United States on imports from Chile, the blueberry sector risks taking a hard hit. 47% of shipments are destined for North America. Producers must now rethink strategies, costs, and product formats to remain competitive.
Chile is facing one of its most complex trade challenges in recent years: the United States, its second-largest trading partner after China, has imposed a 10% tariff on several categories of imported products, including fresh and processed fruit. A measure that threatens to jeopardize one of the most iconic sectors of Chilean agri-food exports: blueberries.
Almost half to the U.S. market
With over 41,000 tons of fresh blueberries exported during the 2023–2024 season, Chile confirms its place among the leading global players in the production of this fruit, highly sought after for its nutraceutical properties. The United States absorbs 47% of the entire export volume, making it the main reference market for South American producers.
An unexpected blow to this balance—such as the tariff increase—risks destabilizing the entire system. “The costs will inevitably be passed on to American consumers, leading to a decline in demand. With supply remaining the same, this will cause a drop in prices and lower margins for producers,” explains Ramiro Poblete, agronomist and consultant for the Chilean company Accion Fruit.
Alternative strategies for producers
In an attempt to preserve the economic sustainability of farms, Poblete suggests several key strategies:
- Improving production efficiency to reduce pressure on margins
- Diversifying product formats, for example by investing in frozen fruit, which is better suited for distant markets and less sensitive to perishability
- Varietal renewal, focusing on cultivars that are more resistant, productive, and have longer shelf life
- Cooperation among producers, including through consortia or associations, to strengthen bargaining power along the value chain
These are complex but necessary choices. The goal: to turn a crisis into an opportunity for renewing the agricultural and export-oriented model.
Europe and Asia as alternatives
Currently, 40% of Chilean blueberries are destined for the European market, while 11% go to East Asia. In this unstable scenario with North America, these two regions are becoming central to the redefinition of export routes.
In particular, the European Union—thanks to existing trade agreements with Chile and a growing internal demand—could become a compensatory market. Countries like Germany, the United Kingdom, and Italy are seeing increasing consumption of berries, especially in the large-scale retail sector and health-focused food service.
Italy, in particular, has increased blueberry consumption over the past year, with a market estimated at around 12,000 tons annually, according to CSO Italy data. However, domestic production—mainly concentrated in Piedmont, Trentino, and Calabria—does not yet meet national demand, making the country an important gateway for foreign producers.
Economic and trade outlook
The issue is not just commercial. According to Claudio Mancilla, professor of Applied Economics at the University of Los Lagos, the tariff increase could trigger a domino effect on global markets, exacerbating inflation in the United States and potentially contributing to a global economic slowdown.
In such a context, Chilean agricultural producers—already dealing with rising production costs and climate-related challenges—will face multi-layered economic pressures. Not only due to lower sale prices, but also because of the uncertainty that could affect the entire agricultural supply chain, including transport, logistics, labor, and agri-industry.
New agricultural diplomacy
While the concrete effects of the tariffs will become clearer in the coming months, the need for an integrated and multilateral approach to address the challenges of agri-food exports is already evident.
On one hand, producers must innovate and differentiate. On the other, there must be a strengthening of institutional and trade relations between exporting and importing countries, to limit market distortions and ensure more stable conditions for international fruit trade.
For Chile’s blueberry sector—and for all Southern Hemisphere countries relying on this crop—the future will depend on their ability to turn crises into strategies, with their eyes set not only on the U.S., but also on Europe and the emerging Asia-Pacific markets.
Source: Italian Berry on YouGov data
