Trade between China and Chile reached new heights in the first four months of 2025, marking a significant milestone in 55 years of bilateral cooperation since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1970.
China's total imports and exports with Chile reached 163.19 billion yuan (22.65 billion U.S. dollars) in the first four months, a 5.4 percent increase year on year, outpacing the growth rate of China's overall foreign trade by 3 percentage points and setting a new record for the same period, said the General Administration of Customs on Wednesday. Chile is the first Latin American country to sign a free trade agreement (FTA) with China, and the first in South America to implement a mutual recognition arrangement for Authorized Economic Operators (AEOs) with Chinese customs. Since the China-Chile FTA came into effect in 2006, bilateral trade has expanded rapidly, from 70.85 billion yuan in 2006 to 437.95 billion yuan in 2024, at an average annual growth rate of 11.2 percent.
Currently, Chile is China's third-largest trading partner in Latin America, while China remains Chile's top trading partner globally.
In recent years, a growing variety of Chilean agricultural products has entered the Chinese market, enriching the "fruit baskets and vegetable trays" of Chinese consumers. Notably, cherries have become a standout example. In the first four months of this year alone, China imported 17.54 billion yuan worth of cherries from Chile, accounting for 16.2% of the total value of China's imports from Chile during that period. Chile has maintained its position as China's largest supplier of imported cherries for over a decade.
Other Chilean specialty products also saw significant growth during the same period. Imports of frozen crab rose by 26.3 percent, sockeye salmon by 180.9 percent, and avocados by 68.1 percent.
China-Chile trade hits record high in first four months
