Chilean & American Chamber of Commerce

Over 200 members of the Chilean & American Chamber of Commerce and the international business community joined together in a function to celebrate the Chamber’s 25th anniversary standing up for bilateral relations between Chile and the Greater Philadelphia region.

The Chilean & American Chamber of Commerce presented the 8th Annual “Experience the Taste of Chile” dinner highlighting unique Chilean wines and cuisine this past Wednesday, April 24, 2013 at the DuPont Country in Wilmington, Delaware.

Ronald Bown, president of the Chilean Fruit Exporters Association (Asoex), was recognized for his contribution to the promotion of Chilean fruit in the US and his role in strengthening relationships between the two countries.

During the awards ceremony, Bown picked up the 2013 Visionary Award in celebration of these achievements. Crisitan Allende Marin, President of the Fruit Growers Federation of Chile (Fedefruta), also received recognition from the Chamber.

“Chile stands out as being a key fresh fruit supplier to the world, the biggest in the Southern Hemisphere and the worldwide leading exporter for table grapes, plums, blueberries and, within the top five countries, of avocados, cherries, apples and pears,” Bown commented.

Bown highlighted Asoex’s achievements as a facilitator in the export process, from opening new markets, market promotion and communicating market regulations for exporter compliance, to harmonization of market requirements, administration of phytosanitary agreements with other countries and training programs for industry workers.

“Chile is one of the largest and most successful fresh fruit exporters to the US market, based primarily on its geographical location, consistent high product quality, a solid and sustainable economy, and an understanding of the country’s development within a base of foreign commerce and institutional commitment,” he added.

Chile is currently ranked 17th among the world’s food exporters and is predicted to be among the top ten exporters by 2014. In direct relation to the region, 65% of all Chilean fruit exports arriving to the U.S. enter through Delaware River ports.  Not only has this relationship resulted in the wide availability of fresh fruit in the winter for U.S. consumers, it has provided thousands of family sustaining jobs in the greater Delaware valley.

“The Chilean American Chamber of Commerce is one of the most successful of Chambers promoting and building upon commercial and cultural relations between Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and the Republic of Chile.  We take advantage of the reverse growing seasons to enjoy the bounty of fresh fruit from Chile during the winter, and thanks in large measure to the Free Trade Agreement, area companies now export increasing volumes of machinery to Chile, especially for use in the mining industry.  Our Ports work both ways to the mutual benefit of both nations,” said Ricardo Maldonado, Executive Director of the Chilean & American Chamber of Commerce . Maldonado continued, “When you think about Chile and the relatively small size of the country and population, it’s amazing that their agricultural exports dominate the market to the extent that they do.”

About 40 percent of all Chilean agricultural exports to the United States  pass through the ports on the Delaware River, and 86 percent of those exports  are fruit.

Grapes, apples, pears, cherries, and citrus fruit from Chile are “winter”  fruit, and begin arriving here in early December. An 8.8-magnitude earthquake in  Chile in 2010 slowed fruit shipments, but after the government and people of  Chile made repairs, the fruit harvest and shipments have returned to previous  volumes.

“Chile is Pennsylvania’s largest out-of-country provider of fruit and wine,”  Corbett said. “This port puts the goods of any importer within a day’s drive of  almost half the population of our nation.”

Philadelphia handles $680 million a year in imports from Chile. “As I told  the agricultural minister, we love Chile, and hope to continue to do business  with them for a long time,” said Charles Kopp, chairman of the Philadelphia  Regional Port Authority.

The way fruit is shipped is changing from “break bulk” cargoes loaded  individually on pallets to giant containers such as truck trailers.

About 533,000 metric tons of Chilean fruit arrive annually at ports on the  Delaware River, said Sean Mahoney, the port authority’s marketing director.

The Philadelphia port handles 44 percent of the fruit on the river. The other  56 percent goes to South Jersey and Wilmington ports.

“It’s a very, very important trade to the region,” Mahoney said. “Other  ports, like Miami in South Florida, are looking closely at ways to try to take  the cargo out of this area and move it up by train to markets in the  Northeast.

“We want very much to grow the fruits and vegetables that are coming in, and  hold onto this tremendous opportunity that we have.”

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/business/20130515_Corbett__Chilean_officials_honor_a_growing_fruit_trade.html#WVBwrAY5ZeZB6Mow.99