Peruvian businesses have the opportunity to sell approximately US$ 1.25 billion worth of goods to the countries of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) with tariff advantages, stated Peru’s Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism (Mincetur by its initials in Spanish).
Fernando Martínez, Director General of Research and Studies on Foreign Trade at Mincetur said this Peruvian exports potential during the event “Connecting Businesses, Opening Markets: Peru-EFTA,” organized by the Swiss Chamber of Commerce in Peru, with the support of the Lima Chamber of Commerce (CCL).
After almost 15 years of the agreement's implementation, Following the agreement between the EFTA countries and Peru, Peruvian exports to Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein reached US$ 178 million, but still have significant room for growth (more than sevenfold).
According to Martínez, countries like Switzerland—which accounts for 80% of Peruvian exports to EFTA—could add silver, blueberries, quinoa, and more cacao to their purchases of gold, coffee, and cocoa.
Norway, on the other hand, could buy more copper, grapes, alpaca yarn, tomatoes, and windshields; while Iceland could purchase squid, fish roe, twine, fine hair yarn, and mangoes, among other products.
In this regard, Mercedes Araoz, former Minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism (Mincetur) and the one who boost the negotiations with EFTA, pointed out that Peruvian companies have preferential access to this market.
But, she warned that the government and businesses face a challenge: increasing the survival rate of exporters, since most of those who manage to enter EFTA do not remain there for long time as suppliers.
The welcome address at the event “Connecting Businesses, Opening Markets: Peru-EFTA” was given by Gabriela Fiorini, second vice president of the Lima Chamber of Commerce (CCL), and Pierre Giannoni, president of the Swiss Chamber of Commerce in Peru, who both emphasized the benefits of trade and technology exchange and pledged to continue working toward closer ties between the two countries.
The European Free Trade Association (EFTA) is the intergovernmental organisation of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, set up for the promotion of free trade and economic cooperation between its members, within Europe and globally.
(END) NDP / MDV
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Publicado: 29/10/2025