(seafood.com) ProChile, the Trade Commission of Chile, has taken aim of positioning itself as a reliable food supplier and will send a large Chilean business delegation to exhibit at the European Seafood Exposition 2012 in Brussels, showing a variety of seafood.
In 2011 Chilean exports to the EU increased 19 percent over 2010, for a total of US$14.5 billion. This effectively placed the EU as the second-largest destination for Chilean products after China. Leading EU recipients are the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Belgium, France and Germany, in that order. Fully 7 percent of Chilean exports to the EU are food products.
Chile is the only global fishing power that has a Free Trade Agreement with the EU, thus allowing tariff-free access to this market. Chiles fisheries and aquaculture exports were worth US$3.93 billion in 2011, a 40 percent increase over 2010. This record performance was driven by a rebounding aquaculture industry and its frozen and fresh frozen product line, notably Atlantic salmon and rainbow trout.
In 2011, Chilean fish and shellfish exports to the European Union were worth US$491.22 million. Sales were led by canned mussels, salmon fillets, hake, octopus, scallops, and cuttlefish. Export value grew 34 percent over 2010, making the ESE a key outlet for Chilean seafood products.
ProChile will show how it is staying ahead in the industry, with constant innovation, through its commitment to quality and compliance with stringent health audit and certification programs, including HACCP, ISO 9000:2000and ISO 14000 quality assurance standards as well as the MSC international standard in matters of sustainability.