Global food trade is expected to grow 1.5% in 2025 compared to 2024, which represents opportunities for Peru's agricultural exports, said Edgar Vásquez Vela, director of the Center for Global Economics and Business Research of the Exporters Association (Cien-Adex).
He also noted that while this rate of increase will be lower than the 2% expansion achieved last year, increased demand will continue in the European Union, the United States, and China markets.
Vela stated this during the launch ceremony of Expoalimentaria 2025, an international event that will take place in Lima, Peru, from September 24 to 26 at the Jockey Convention Center.
He also indicated that the European bloc will purchase approximately $100 billion in foreign food, the United States $41 billion, and China another $22 billion.
“Peru have free trade agreements with these three major economies, which gives us a significant advantage. In the case of the United States, although a 10% tariff has been applied since April, the fact that we are working from a zero base allows us to maintain a differential that gives us support to continue competing,” he emphasized.
In 2024, the US market was the main destination for Peruvian agro-industrial products, representing 35.5% of the total; while other destinations were the Netherlands (14.4%), Spain (6.5%), Chile (3.6%), and the United Kingdom (3.6%), among others.
Vásquez Vela indicated that in 2025, fruits and vegetables trade will be the most significant on a global scale, surpassing cereals.
"It is important to highlight this because it is a segment (Fruits and vegetables) where Peru is very strong and we still have room to continue growing," he emphasized.
Peruvian agro-export basket
Furthermore, Vásquez Vela highlighted that in 2024, 53.8% of the total agricultural export basket was made up of fruits ($6.682 billion), followed by vegetables and other plant products ($1.777 billion), and cocoa and cocoa derivatives ($1.281 billion).
Also coffee and coffee products ($1.102 billion), food industry products ($965 million), cereals ($185 million), and legumes ($130 million).
The Cien-Adex director emphasized that Peru is the world's ninth largest supplier of fruits, 28th in vegetables and other plant products, 27th in cocoa and derivatives, 18th in coffee and derivatives, 55th in food industry products, 51st in cereals, and 32nd in legumes.
He also noted that 18 products in Peru's agricultural export basket currently exceed $100 million, including blueberries ($2.2 billion), fresh grapes ($1.7 billion), fresh or dried avocados ($1.2 billion), non-decaffeinated coffee ($1.1 billion), and cocoa beans ($740 million).
He indicated that Cien-Adex projected a 6.6% increase in Peruvian agricultural exports this year, reaching nearly $13.2 billion, a historic record.
"This is an activity that generates 56% of export-related jobs, and due to its nature, the closer it is to the exporter, the more formal the employment, so expanding shipments to the world is crucial for the formalization of the country's economy," he noted.
The Expoalimentaria fair
Expoalimentaria 2025 is organized by ADEX with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism (Mincetur), the Ministry of Agrarian Development and Irrigation (Midagri), and the Peruvian Export and Tourism Promotion Commission (Promperú).
Its sponsors include Dinet, Agrorum, the Graduate School of the University of Lima, Nunatura, Kikko, and Talma.
Last year's edition featured 687 national and international exhibitors, more than 1,600 buyers from five continents, and over 2,700 business meetings. The expected 12-month business turnover was $695 million.
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(END) NDP / MDV
Published: 4/28/2025