Chile’s non-copper, non-lithium exports reached a record US$40.212 billion through September

Chile’s non-copper, non-lithium exports reached a record US$40.212 billion in the first nine months of 2026, ProChile said Thursday, citing data from the National Customs Service, as the country posted broad-based growth across manufacturing, fisheries, services and wine.

The export promotion agency said shipments in the category rose 11.9% from the same period in 2025. In September alone, non-copper, non-lithium exports totaled US$4.199 billion, up 10.4% from a year earlier. The figures came from ProChile’s market intelligence department in its latest report on third-quarter export performance.

The United States was the largest destination for those exports with US$7.471 billion, a 1.2% increase from the first nine months of 2025. China followed closely with US$7.370 billion, up 10.5%. India ranked third with US$2.243 billion and the fastest growth among the top markets at 98.2%. Brazil received US$2.146 billion, up 5.2%, while Japan took in US$2.090 billion, up 6.7%.

Among individual products, fresh mandarins stood out. Exports of the fruit totaled more than US$142 million from January through September, an increase of 15.3% from the same period last year. The United States absorbed 88% of those shipments with US$125 million. Mexico bought US$8 million, up 285%, and the Dominican Republic bought US$2 million, up 177.1%.

Salmon and trout remained one of Chile’s largest export engines outside copper and lithium. Shipments of the two products reached US$5.060 billion in the first nine months of the year. The United States was the main market with US$2.054 billion, equal to 40.59% of the sector’s exports. ProChile said that amount represented 27.5% of Chilean exports to the U.S. market and was 4% higher than a year earlier.

Services also posted solid growth. Exports in that category exceeded US$2.719 billion in the period, with the United States again the main destination at US$829 million, up 9.1% from the same stretch of 2025. The results point to continued diversification in Chile’s export base beyond goods, at a time when the government has been pushing internationalization among small and medium-size companies.

Manufacturing delivered one of the strongest gains among the broad sectors tracked by ProChile. Exports in that group reached US$7.523 billion, up 36.3% year over year. China was the main market for manufacturing shipments. Among the leading products were sulfates of copper, aluminum, nickel and other materials, which brought in US$989 million and rose 591.3%, along with iron at US$804 million, up 31.5%, and inorganic iodine at US$563 million, up 32.8%.

Wine exports also advanced, with Brazil holding its position as the top destination for Chilean wine. Shipments to Brazil totaled US$167 million between January and September, up 7.6% from the same period in 2025. The United Kingdom ranked next at US$135 million, a 3.3% increase. For beverage companies, the performance in those two markets offers a useful measure of where demand for Chilean wine is holding up and where export priorities, promotion spending and distributor relationships may need to be adjusted as competition shifts.

Fisheries and aquaculture exports as a whole reached more than US$7.414 billion in the first nine months of the year, an 8.4% increase. The United States remained the top market with US$2.303 billion, up 4.2%, followed by Japan with US$909 million, up 4.3%, and Brazil with US$787 million, up 17.7%. The figures underscored the weight of food and beverage-related exports in Chile’s trade mix, particularly in markets where seafood and wine can move through some of the same import channels and retail networks.

The forestry sector was one of the few major areas to contract. Exports totaled US$4.108 billion, down 6% from a year earlier. Still, some products within the sector expanded. Exports of wooden doors and windows topped US$60 million, up 12.7%. The United States took 97.47% of those shipments, equivalent to US$58 million. Forestry exports to Peru also rose to US$147 million, up 18.7%.

Ignacio Fernández, ProChile’s director general, said the record total showed the strength of Chile’s export sector and the ability of domestic companies to compete in international markets. He said the results supported growth and employment and reflected the work of thousands of companies and workers across the country. He also said Chile still had room to expand by diversifying its export offering and entering new markets, and that ProChile would continue supporting companies, especially small and medium-size businesses, in their international expansion.