U.S. Tariffs Impact Peruvian Blueberries, Exports Shift to Chinese Market
According to Reuters, for over a decade, large quantities of blueberries produced in Peru's Pisco Desert have been exported to the United States. Now, affected by U.S. tariff policies, many blueberries originally destined for the U.S. are being redirected to China. Meanwhile, with the opening of Peru's Callao Port, direct shipping to China has been established, reducing shipping time by at least 10 days.
A local major blueberry producer, Valle y Pampa, stated that its farm began production in 2012, with current blueberry yields 10 times higher than at that time. Typically, 60% of the company's blueberries were sent to the United States, with the remainder going to Europe. However, this year the company plans to export to China on a large scale for the first time to mitigate the impact of the 10% tariff the U.S. is imposing on all Peruvian goods.
Peru's Minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism, Úrsula León, said that blueberries will bring approximately $2.3 billion in export revenue in 2024, with production expected to grow 25% to 400,000 tons in the 2025/2026 harvest season. Peru is accelerating its search for new agricultural export markets in Asia, Europe, and Oceania (Australia), with India, Indonesia, and China identified as markets with growth potential.
Peru is the largest blueberry supplier to the United States, with supply exceeding that of Mexico and Chile. If Peru's supply decreases, U.S. blueberry prices will rise.