Recovering exports to China
The Chilean General Directorate of International Economic Relations (Direcon) produced an analysis of the FTA between Chile and China (signed in 2006), where it is explained that the decreased volumes exported in 2007 were more a consequence of problems in the local salmon industry than issues with the Chinese economy or the FTA. In the last 3 years there have been continuous growths in the salmon exports to that market and, as an example of that, as of June 2010, sales to China (USD 34.2 million) are higher than in the same period of the previous year.
This study, produced by the Direcon, further explains that the Chilean salmon export to China have increased from USD 19 million in 2005 up to USD 54 million in 2009. Moreover, while exports of salmonids decreased 12% in the world in 2009, sales of salmon from Chile to China increased 51.3% in value and 93.4% in volume.
Among other topics, the document explains that smoked salmon received an immediate tax relief when the FTA started four years ago, while fresh and frozen salmon from Chile will have to wait another 6 years before becoming tax free products.
