Total Peruvian exports are on course to increase by 10 per cent in value to US$37.3bn during 2011, up slightly on the US$34bn recorded last year as global trade continues to recover slowly, according to the Peruvian Exporters Association (Adex).
In the agricultural sector, Adex said it expects sendings to develop positively this year, with sales tipped to reach some US$2.6bn, primarily thanks for demand for Peruvian fruits and vegetables.
Despite the brighter outlook, however, Adex admits great uncertainty still exists on the world’s major markets following the global financial crisis.
“These countries are our principal buyers and if their markets don’t recover, the growth rate of our exports will not reach the levels recorded in 2006, or 2008,” explained Adex president Juan Varilias Velásquez.
“We are facing a slow process of recovery which will not allow for a great increase in international trade,” Mr Velásquez added. “We must remember that the European Union is carrying out fiscal adjustments, while the emerging countries are trying to regulate their growth rhythms to avoid high inflation.”
According to the Peruvian customs agency Aduanas, in 2004, 2005 and 2006 Peruvian exports registered growth rates of more than 27 per cent, 40 per cent and 36 per cent respectively, and in 2008, exports reached a record US$31bn in value.
At Adex, Mr Varilias said the priority is not only to achieve higher results year on year but also to progressively support non-traditional exports (such as fresh fruit and vegetables), which generate the most employment.
However, certain issues face the industry such as the lack of a competitive infrastructure network and high logistics costs, coupled with the appreciation in value of the Peruvian sol, according to Mr Varilias.
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