Expanding Horizons: Chile's First Business Roundtable in North Africa
Chile is set to make significant strides in expanding its export markets with the inaugural business roundtable organized by ProChile, scheduled to take place in Rabat, Morocco, on June 10 and 11. This landmark event has been officially launched today, featuring notable attendees such as the Undersecretary of Agriculture, Francesco Venezian, ProChile's General Director, Ignacio Fernández, and Felipe Lopeandía, the Director of Bilateral Economic Affairs at the Subsecretariat for International Economic Relations (Subrei). The gathering also saw participation from the Moroccan Embassy in Chile, various diplomatic representatives, the Chilean Fruit Association, and the companies attending the roundtable. This initiative aims to diversify the destinations for Chilean products, showcasing a variety of exports including salmon, mussels, cherries, kiwis, and wines.
Creating New Opportunities for Chilean Exports
The event will feature 16 Chilean companies, which will engage in discussions with 30 importers from 13 countries, including Morocco, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Azerbaijan, and Greece. ProChile has meticulously arranged more than 65 business meetings to facilitate these interactions. Ignacio Fernández emphasized the potential for growth, highlighting that last year, Chile’s exports of agri-foods, seafood, and wine to Europe, Africa, and the Middle East surpassed $5.3 billion, establishing a record. Despite this achievement, he noted that Chile’s market share in these regions remains around 2%, indicating substantial room for expansion. He pointed out the remarkable increase in demand for Chilean food products in Africa, which has more than doubled over the past five years, reaching $450 million last year, and expressed optimism about the opportunities for introducing new products to these markets.
This business roundtable also aims to capitalize on the growing trade relationship between Chile and Morocco, with the Subsecretariat for International Economic Relations currently leading bilateral dialogues to negotiate a future trade agreement. Felipe Lopeandía remarked that this roundtable represents a significant opportunity to strengthen ties between the exporting sectors of both nations and build a deeper economic relationship with Morocco. The initiative aligns with ongoing efforts to establish a trade agreement aimed at enhancing Chile’s presence in Africa and positioning Morocco as a strategic partner for entry into the region.
Undersecretary Francesco Venezian reiterated the government's commitment to bolster Chile’s export capabilities, underscoring the collaboration with ProChile as a vital step toward achieving this objective. He expressed enthusiasm about opening new avenues for the export of Chilean fruits to Morocco. Moreover, he highlighted the recent signing of a cooperation agreement between the Chilean Agricultural and Livestock Service and Morocco's National Office for Food Safety (ONSSA), which will enhance technical cooperation and deepen collaborative efforts in sanitary and phytosanitary matters. Venezian affirmed, "Chile boasts exceptional products, top-tier producers, and a strong reputation for meeting international standards. Thus, these agreements and visits are essential to showcase the quality of our agri-food offerings and continue to open new markets for the sector."
Iván Marambio, President of Frutas de Chile, emphasized the pioneering spirit of Chile's commercial history and expressed the ambition to lead a new chapter by being the first to open African markets for fresh fruit exports. He identified Morocco as an ideal platform for this venture, citing its high fruit consumption, substantial population, and thriving tourism sector as strategic advantages for initiating this growth trajectory for Chilean fruit. He conveyed enthusiasm about participating in this public-private mission to Morocco, anticipating fruitful discussions that will pave the way forward.
In addition to the business roundtable, the event will include market visits, sales points, networking opportunities for companies, and high-level meetings between Subrei and ProChile officials and their Moroccan counterparts. For further details and photos from the launch event, please visit the official website.
As reported by prochile.gob.cl.
