USD 94,223 million was the total value of Chile’s trade with the world between January 1 and July 31, 2021. The figure represents a 35% increase compared to the same seven months of 2020, according to the Foreign Trade Report prepared monthly by the Research Department of the National Customs Service.
In July alone, trade grew 46.4%, totaling USD 15,305.9 million.
Over this same period, the country’s exports grew 27.3% compared with the same period of 2020, reaching USD 51,906.9 million, while imports totaled USD 45,931 million, up 47%.
In line with the trend seen throughout every month of this year, in July alone exports rose 39.9% with sales of USD 8,300.1 million, while imports grew even more, climbing 58.7% with purchases of USD 7,703.1 million.
The National Director of Customs, José Ignacio Palma, added: “Our goal as an enforcement and revenue collection service is to remain a pillar of support for Chile’s foreign trade and economic reactivation, so the import and export figures leave us very satisfied, as they show that the work our officials are carrying out—both at control points and in the regulatory, technical, legal, and IT areas—is fully meeting the objectives we have set for ourselves since the start of the pandemic in 2020 and throughout this entire year.”
Shipments abroad
Between January and July 2021, mining sector exports accounted for 61.1% of the country’s total sales, with USD 31,729 million, an increase of 46.0% over the same period of the previous year.
Within the basket of mining products, shipments of copper ores and concentrates stood out, accounting for 50.6% of this sector’s total sales and posting a 54.7% increase compared with the same period of 2020.
Copper, in second place with a 38.9% share of mining products, posted a positive variation of 40.4%. Also noteworthy is the 69.8% increase in iron ores and concentrates.
Meanwhile, non-mining sector sales totaled USD 20,178 million, growing 6.0% compared with the same period of 2020.
Among the variations observed in non-mining products, notable increases were recorded in honey (89.1%), other alcoholic beverages (35.7%), cherries (34.0%), cured and processed meats (28.5%), pulp (22.9%), and meat of other species (21.9%), along with declines in avocados (-59.8%), mandarins and clementines (-26.3%), beef (-25.7%), olive oil (-22.0%), lemons (-18.3%), and grapes (-14.4%), as well as in some seafood products, such as sea urchins (-32.4%), mollusks (-24.3%), and fishmeal (-18.8%).
Imports
Fuel sector imports between January and July 2021 accounted for 14.4% of the country’s total purchases, with USD 6,611 million and 49.4% growth compared with the same period of 2020.
Within the basket of fuel products, notable increases were seen in purchases of crude oil at 90.2%, liquefied propane at 85.4%, and liquefied natural gas at 82.2%, along with a -73.2% drop in purchases of natural gas in gaseous form.
Purchases of non-fuel products totaled USD 39,321 million, showing 46.7% growth compared with the same period of 2020.
In this category, increases stood out in purchases of tractors at 233.1%, video game consoles and machines at 210.7%, motor vehicles for the transport of goods at 145.4%, televisions at 137.5%, computers and their parts at 101.4%, motor vehicles for the transport of persons at 94.4%, polyethylene at 73.6%, and poultry meat at 73.3%. Generator sets posted a 7.8% decline.
Revenue collection
Customs duties and taxes collected between January and July 2021 totaled USD 9,433 million, a figure 37.7% higher than that recorded in the same period of 2020. July saw a positive variation of 50.4% versus 2020, reaching USD 1,608.3 million.
For the seven months of the year elapsed so far, the main levy collected was VAT, reaching USD 8,556 million, with a 90.7% share and 47.5% growth.
The ad valorem duty ranked second with a 3.8% share of Customs revenue, posting a 63.7% increase compared with the same period of 2020. Finally, the specific tax on diesel fuel accounted for a 2.8% share, with USD 261 million and a 56.7% reduction.
Source: Portal Portuario
