The Impact of Regional Trade Agreements on Chilean Fruit Exports

This report analyses the impact of Chile’s free trade agreements (FTAs) on fresh fruit exports. It finds that the FTAs have been important instruments for providing increased market access for Chilean products based on both an econometric analysis and structured surveys of exporters. While the impacts on profits were not considered to very significant according to exporters, the agreements are considered necessary to maintain a level playing field with Chile’s competitors. Both SAG, Chile’s plant and animal health authority, and Pro-Chile, Chile’s export promotion agency, were viewed as essential to promoting Chile’s reputation as an exporter of quality products. Interviews with trade associations covering a wide range of export products, found that while the FTAs provided entry points into markets, actual market access did not always benefit all sectors equally.