On 25 April, the workshop "Opportunities and challenges in the distribution of Chilean fruit" was organised by food service operators in the Netherlands Chamber of Commerce, in Rotterdam. The seminar was attended by the Ambassador of Chile in the Netherlands, María Teresa Infante Caffi, who opened the event by thanking the participants for their interest in Chile as "a country with endless possibilities and recognised potential," emphasising that they are willing to face any challenges as a country and become a source of opportunities for importers, as well as "the best business partners."
Afterwards, Mr Osvaldo Marinao gave a presentation highlighting the marketing possibilities that Chile, as a country, can offer to importers. "We are much more than just beautiful landscapes. For us, it is important that when you think of a country like Chile, you relate it to all the possibilities it can offer." It was stressed that Chile has the potential and ability to produce various products and that it currently has 24 agreements with 63 economies in place, testament to its growing potential when it comes to fruit exports.
The information provided on the ease to access Dutch ports was the essential complement to this seminar. This important issue was addressed by the Manager of Agro-food Business at the Port of Rotterdam, Sofie Tolk, who stressed the importance of this Dutch port for international trade, corroborating Chile as one of its main trading partners. "Every year, 3.8 million tonnes of fresh fruit go through our port, so this is a very important market for us and we are investing and working hard on the implementation of new technologies for the proper preservation of these products," stressed the representative of the port.
Also not to be missed was the presentation made by ASOEX, given its status as largest association of Chilean exporters. They highlighted Chile's growth as a fruit exporter and the importance of keeping a good relationship with the Netherlands, as it is the main importer of Chilean fruits. Christian Carvajal, spokesperson for the association, stressed how "32% of Chile's exports are fresh fruits. Of this percentage, 41% are intended for the Dutch market, with a significant increase recorded in recent years." This certainly confirms that trade relations between the Netherlands and Chile are of great economic importance for both countries.
