, said Jose Luis Castillo, director general of International Trade Negotiations at the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism (Mincetur).
The official noted that, given the entry into force of the trade agreement with Hong Kong, Peru now has 25 trade agreements with 59 economies worldwide.
"Our agreement with Hong Kong represents another step in Peru's strategy to consolidate our position in the Asia-Pacific region," Castillo told Andina News Agency.
In this regard, he noted that Peru seeks to expand its network of trade agreements, particularly with the Asian region, to achieve greater market access for Peru's export products and strengthen the country's image as a regional hub in the South American Pacific.
"This agreement with Hong Kong contributes to that objective. It is a comprehensive agreement covering trade in goods, services, including financial services, the temporary entry of businesspeople, and intellectual property," Castillo explained.
"It also includes provisions on sanitary and phytosanitary measures and technical barriers to trade, which are chapters that help ensure greater predictability in the application of technical and sanitary requirements for both farming and industrial products, so that they can enter the destination market with greater legal certainty," he added.
In 2025, Peruvian exports to Hong Kong totaled US$237.8 million, of which 40.27% were traditional products, mainly gold.
Meanwhile, 59.73% were non-traditional products, led by agricultural exports of blueberries, grapes, and avocados, among other goods.
Likewise, in 2025, Peruvian imports from Hong Kong totaled US$28.6 million, mainly from the steel (34.3%), chemical (22.9%), and metalworking (19.2%) sectors.
Trade agreements in Asia
The Mincetur official noted that Peru already has trade agreements with several Asian economies, including China, Japan, and South Korea.
"We are close to signing an agreement with Thailand, but under the agreement with Thailand, trade in goods is partially covered," Castillo emphasized.
Likewise, the director general stressed that Peru is a member of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), which brings together 12 economies from Asia, Oceania, the Americas, and Europe.
"This agreement (CPTPP) also includes Asian economies such as Vietnam and Malaysia," he pointed out.
Peruvian products
On the other hand, the official noted that Peruvian goods previously took more than 40 days to reach China, but the Chancay-Shanghai route reduces travel time by 10 days, benefiting shipments of perishable products such as fruit and other foodstuffs.
"Thus, the reduction in travel time resulting from the direct route to Asia helps us reach the Asian market more swiftly and offer a wider range of products," he underscored.
Castillo noted that Peruvian products such as blueberries, grapes, avocados, and mandarins are already entering the Hong Kong market.
But the FTA will consolidate this market for Peru by providing legal certainty through a zero-percent tariff on Peruvian exports entering the Hong Kong market.
"The Free Trade Agreement, through its chapter on sanitary and phytosanitary measures, provides greater transparency and predictability in the application of these requirements for entry into the Hong Kong market," he said.
On the other hand, Castillo noted that Hong Kong is one of the most important markets in terms of purchasing power, with a per capita GDP of US$75,000, a very high figure.
Therefore, it can serve as a market for Peru's premium products, such as superfoods, Pima cotton garments, as well as goldsmithing and jewelry.
Imports
The official highlighted that the FTA also grants Hong Kong products preferential tariff treatment in Peru, making technology goods more accessible to Peruvians, such as cellphones, hard drives, and smart cards, as well as chemical and steel products.
(END) NDP/MDV/MVB