Chile Sets New Export Record in 2025: $107.004 Billion, a Historic High

Original article: Chile rompe récord exportador en 2025: US$ 107.004 millones, el mayor monto histórico

In a year defined by a challenging global economic landscape, Chile achieved a remarkable feat in international trade, with exports reaching a record $107.004 billion in 2025.

This historic figure marks a 7.9% increase compared to the previous year, when exports rose by $7.839 billion. This data is detailed in the Foreign Trade Report from the Undersecretariat of International Economic Relations (SUBREI), compiled with information from the Central Bank and the National Customs Service.

The total trade exchange (exports plus imports) also showed robust performance, amounting to $199.667 billion, reflecting an 8.9% rise from 2024.

Claudia Sanhueza, the Undersecretary of International Economic Relations, commented on this achievement, stating that «2025 marked a historic milestone for Chilean foreign trade, as the figures indicate that despite the challenging international context, our country achieved a record year in exports. This is the result of significant public and private efforts that have been carried out.»

She added, «Moreover, more companies engaged in exports, particularly micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), contributing to economic development and job creation.»

Mining Sector and its Contribution to Chile’s Export Basket

The record was driven by simultaneous increases in both traditional and non-traditional exports. The mining sector emerged as the primary contributor, generating returns of $63.253 billion, a rise of 12.6% that also marks its own historic high. This performance accounted for 59.1% of national goods exports.

Copper was the standout performer within the mining category, with sales of copper concentrates reaching $36.278 billion, reflecting a year-on-year increase of 19.3%. Other significant contributors included gold, molybdenum concentrates, and lithium carbonate.

However, the growth was broad and diversified. The fruit sector itself set a new record, with exports totaling $8.630 billion, marking a 1.3% increase from 2024, primarily driven by fresh cherries, which accounted for $3.380 billion and 39% of the sector’s output. Other outstanding products included hazelnuts, walnuts, avocados, lemons, kiwis, blueberries, apples, almonds, nectarines, clementines, chestnuts, sarsaparilla, pomegranates, mandarins, and cranberries.

According to the report, the food industry reached its highest annual level, exporting $13.610 billion, an increase of 6.1%.

This result was supported by the export of 600 different types of food, with standout items including salmonids, frozen horse mackerel, frozen cuttlefish fillets, frozen blueberries, powdered milk, and dried plums.

Organic foods also merited special attention, recording historic returns of $397 million, with a growth rate of 19.6%, driven by berries, bee honey, rosehip, and bottled wines such as Chardonnay and rosés.

Manufacturing and Services: Challenges and Triumphs

In contrast, some sectors faced challenges. The forestry manufacturing sector closed the year with shipments of $5.873 billion, experiencing a decline of 8.8% due to reduced shipments of pulp and wood chips. However, within the same sector, products with higher added value like channeling papers, corrugated cardboard, and packaging saw growth.

Metal manufacturing, machinery, and transport equipment, however, registered shipments of $2.606 billion, marking a 14.5% increase, thanks to higher shipments of mill balls, electrical conductors, mining industry machinery, gearboxes, stoves, and vertical freezers. Bottled wine, on the other hand, reported a contraction of 3.7%, totaling $1.298 billion.

Service exports reached $3.190 billion, an 11.2% increase, consolidating five years of sustained growth. Key contributions came from web hosting ($348 million), aircraft maintenance and repair ($297 million), and technical computing support via the internet ($208 million).

More Companies, More Jobs: Strengthening the Export Fabric

One of the most notable findings in the report is the expansion of the export company fabric. In 2025, a total of 8,767 national companies registered exports, a growth of 2.3%, marking the highest number since records began.

Micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) solidified their role as the backbone of this ecosystem, with 4,610 companies (52.6% of the total), while large companies accounted for 3,341 (38.1%). Furthermore, 1,789 Chilean companies exported for the first time in 2025, with combined shipments totaling $480 million.

This entrepreneurial dynamism directly correlates with the job market.

“These exporting companies created a total of 1,253,124 formal jobs (1 in every 8), representing 13% of the country’s employment. This also marks the largest recorded export workforce in the last ten years, confirming that foreign trade is a concrete tool for growth, investment, and opportunities for all regions of Chile,” emphasized Undersecretary Sanhueza in a press release from the SUBREI.

Record Breakdown: Tradition and Innovation

By the end of 2025, traditional goods exports accounted for 56% of total exports, while non-traditional shipments made up 44%. The latter also closed at historic highs, with returns of $47.044 billion, a rise of 7.1% ($3.123 billion more than in 2024). Products such as hazelnuts, frozen salmon fillets, iodine, avocados, and walnuts led this growth.

The report also highlighted December 2025, during which exports totaled $11.285 billion, marking the highest level of foreign sales for a single month in recorded history.

The 2025 export record positions Chile on a path of diversification and sophistication in its export basket, demonstrating resilience against the international backdrop and establishing a solid foundation for future economic growth.