Chile Trade Surplus Narrows Slightly

Chile’s trade surplus narrowed to USD 1.517 billion in May 2025 from USD 1.539 billion in the same month of 2024.

Exports rose by 6.3% year-on-year to USD 8.490 billion, supported by strong performances across several sectors.

Forestry and wood furniture exports surged by 34.7%, driven by a 94.1% jump in plywood and a 59.3% increase in sawn timber.

The agricultural sector expanded by 7.4%, highlighted by a 13.0% rise in extractive fishing and a 9.3% gain in fruit exports.

Industrial exports grew 6.6%, led by an 11.7% increase in food products.

Mining sales rose 5.9%, with notable increases in gold (141.4%), silver (29.6%), and copper (4.4%).

In contrast, exports of food and tobacco declined by 10.9%, largely due to an 8.6% drop in bulk wine and related products.

On the import side, total purchases climbed 8.1% to USD 6.973 billion, driven by a 30.4% increase in capital goods and an 11.9% rise in consumer goods, while imports of intermediate goods declined by 1.0%.