Manufacturing shipments totaled US$1.053 billion between January and February 2022, a 31.5% increase compared to the same period last year (US$800 million) and surpassing the US$1 billion mark for the first time in this period, the
Association of Peruvian Exporters (Adex) reported on Wednesday.
Despite the good results, Adex Manufacturing Manager Melissa Vallebuona warned that four sectors (textiles, clothing, metalworking, and various) failed to exceed their maximum amounts from previous years.
"Although the trend is positive, the goal is to exceed historical figures in each sector, ending 2022 with new records," Vallebuona explained.
"We are confident that this goal can be achieved, since the manufacturing process involves skilled labor, especially in technology and innovation, which generates many jobs," she added.
Another favorable aspect, she said, is the current relocation, that is, foreign buyers are now looking for suppliers located closer to the production areas, which puts Asian countries aside, mainly due to the cost overruns generated by the international crisis and the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
The sector with the best performance by FOB amount was chemicals, totaling US$332 million, an increase of 31.9%. In addition, sales accounted for 31.6% of the total.
The sector's top exported products were sulfuric acid, zinc oxide, undenatured ethyl alcohol, as well as other plates and sheets of polymers of propylene, which were mainly sent to Chile, the United States, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Colombia.
The iron and steel industry (US$276 million) accounted for 26.2% of manufacturing exports, posting an increase of 36.8%.
The main destinations for said shipments were Colombia, the United States, Bolivia, South Africa, and Ecuador.
The most exported products were unalloyed zinc, refined copper wire, unalloyed iron or steel bars, alloyed raw silver, refined copper sheets and strips, among others.
(END) NDP/CNA/RMB/MVB
Published: 5/4/2022