Airfreight powers Peru’s fresh produce export boom

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has released a report showing how airfreight has supported Peru’s emergence as one of the world’s leading exporters of fresh produce.

The value of the country’s fresh fruit and vegetable exports more than tripled in the past decade, increasing from US$2.4bn in 2015 to US$8.1bn in 2025, led by key categories including blueberries, asparagus, and table grapes.

According to the report, airfreight has played an outsized role in this growth, enabling the growth of time- and quality-sensitive non-traditional products, facilitating market entry and access to distant, premium markets. Fresh fruits and vegetables accounted for 76.3 per cent of Peru’s air cargo export volume in 2025. Air shipments accounted for 23.0 per cent of Peru’s total export value in the same year, but only 1.3 per cent of total export tonnage. 

“Peru’s export success shows how air cargo enables countries to expand their economies with access to global markets. Reliable air connectivity allows producers to get time-sensitive products such as fresh fruits and vegetables to distant markets quickly while preserving quality, and enables entry into new markets and higher‑value segments. That connectivity helps farmers reach global consumers and supports jobs, growth, and diversification across the economy,” said Brendan Sullivan, IATA’s global head of Cargo.

Asparagus, blueberries, and mangoes dominate Peru’s air cargo exports of fresh fruits and vegetables. Together, they account for 93 per cent of such exports both by value and weight. Asparagus leads both, with close to 50 per cent. Blueberries are second in value, but third in weight, highlighting a relatively high weight-to-value ratio. 

These categories illustrate how air cargo supports exports across different contexts by enabling product differentiation and aiding entry into new markets.

Andrés Bianchi, CEO of LATAM Cargo Group said: “Peru’s export growth illustrates how reliable air connectivity enables time-sensitive industries to compete in distant, high-value markets. That same connectivity is equally critical on the import side, ensuring the timely arrival of inputs and technology that sustain the country’s productive capacity. At LATAM Cargo, our focus is to strengthen that connectivity with disciplined execution, because it supports both sides of trade and Peru’s long-term competitiveness.”