Following the recent tour of China, Vietnam, and Indonesia, which included representatives from some of the country’s main export sectors, such as ChileCarne, Frutas de Chile, and Faenacar, Francesco Venezian, the Undersecretary of Agriculture analyzes the progress and challenges in strengthening Chile’s presence in these strategic markets. In a conversation with ChileCarne, he addresses sanitary access, zoning, and diversification of destinations, as well as the importance of technical knowledge and commercial experience to strengthen dialogue with authorities and advance sanitary and phytosanitary access matters, in line with the needs of each market.
The tour included visits to China, Vietnam, and Indonesia. What are the main objectives that the Ministry of Agriculture hopes to achieve in these markets, and what specific opportunities does this agenda represent for Chilean meat exports?
The main objective of the tour was to strengthen the international presence of the Chilean forestry and agricultural sector, consolidate strategic markets, and advance towards better market access for our agri-food products. In China, Vietnam, and Indonesia, we sought to deepen dialogue with health and agricultural authorities, strengthen technical cooperation, and make progress on matters of market access, sanitary and phytosanitary requirements, and trade facilitation.
For meat exports, it was an opportunity to continue our efforts to expand and diversify market access for Chilean livestock products, particularly by advancing technical work with the authorities of the countries visited. In China, we promoted the opening and expansion of access for new livestock products, made progress on sanitary zoning, and advanced electronic certification for livestock products.
In Vietnam and Indonesia, the tour strengthened institutional relationships and allowed for follow-up on ongoing trade opening and facilitation processes. The objective was to continue efforts to diversify Chilean meat export destinations in high-potential economies, based on technical and sanitary collaboration between the relevant authorities.
Vietnam has been identified as a market with significant potential for Chilean meat. What progress does the Government expect to make regarding sanitary openings, and how close are we to allowing Chilean pork and chicken to enter that market?
Vietnam is a market that we have identified as strategic to further diversify Chilean agri-food exports in Asia, particularly for our meat sector.
In 2024, we took a very important step forward, as after 14 years of waiting for a visit from Vietnamese authorities, we finally received inspectors from that country at our facilities. This visit was the result of technical work carried out jointly by SAG (Chile’s Agricultural and Livestock Service), the Chilean Agricultural Attaché’s Office in Vietnam (operational since 2024), and Vietnamese health authorities.
Following the exchange of technical information, we are currently in the process of preparing the official documentation necessary to move forward with opening the market for our pork, poultry, and beef producers. Therefore, one of the objectives we set for this visit is to accelerate this process and create the conditions for achieving sanitary access. In this regard, we emphasized to the Vice Minister of Agriculture of Vietnam the importance of finalizing this process promptly.
Chile has an internationally recognized healthcare system, a highly technological industry, and extensive export experience. Based on this, we want to move forward with the Vietnamese authorities on the remaining steps to achieve certification.
In particular, this tour has allowed us to convey that Chile is prepared to move towards opening this market, to raise the issue at a political level, and to support the technical work that SAG has been developing.
China continues to be a strategic market for Chilean meat. During this tour, what were the main sanitary and trade issues you addressed to further strengthen the presence of our products in that country?
Regarding meat, we addressed various issues relevant to expanding and stabilizing market access for our products. These included advancing technical work to enable and expand access for new poultry and pork products, as well as bovine and ovine by-products. We also expressed Chile’s interest in formally initiating discussions to reach an agreement on sanitary zoning for African swine fever, which would safeguard the continuity of bilateral trade in the event of health emergencies.
Finally, we addressed matters related to facilitating agri-food trade, particularly in electronic animal health certification, traceability, inspection and coordination between health and customs authorities.
This visit strengthened relations and boosted these initiatives, as the technical counterparts of both countries maintain ongoing communication and Chile is fully prepared to move forward, in the appropriate forums, on matters of interest to China as well as those priorities for our country. The goal is to continue consolidating a long-term health and trade relationship based on technical cooperation, trade facilitation, and mutual benefit.
Joint work between the public and private sectors has been key to opening and consolidating international markets. How do you assess this collaboration, and what was your role during this tour in advancing health and trade agreements?
The collaboration between the public and private sectors has undoubtedly been one of the main factors behind Chile’s international standing as a reliable food supplier. The opening and consolidation of markets is not the result of a single institution, but rather of ongoing collaboration between the Ministry of Agriculture, the Agricultural and Livestock Service (SAG), the Office of Agricultural Studies and Policies (ODEPA), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and agricultural and export associations, enabling progress with a shared, long-term vision.
This coordination has been fundamental in building trust with our counterparts, responding to increasingly stringent health requirements, and developing internationally recognized traceability, certification, and food safety systems. It has also allowed us to react promptly to health emergencies and adapt our offerings to the needs of markets as diverse as those in Asia.
During this tour, that collaboration was evident. The delegation included representatives from some of the main export sectors, such as Frutas de Chile, ChileCarne, and Faenacar, who contribute technical knowledge, commercial experience, and a direct perspective on the opportunities and challenges facing our exports. This collaboration strengthens the dialogue with the authorities of China, Vietnam, and Indonesia and allows us to address sanitary and phytosanitary access issues with solid technical information aligned with the real needs of the markets.
Beyond this tour, what are the main priorities of the Ministry of Agriculture to continue strengthening the international competitiveness of the Chilean meat sector and opening new export opportunities?
Beyond this tour, one of the main priorities of the Ministry of Agriculture is to strengthen the international competitiveness of Chilean productive sectors based on three pillars: a solid sanitary condition, the opening and diversification of markets, and the modernization of foreign trade processes.
First, we will continue to strengthen our plant and animal health heritage, which is one of the country’s main competitive advantages. We have a solid health institutional framework, robust traceability systems, and close collaboration between the public and private sectors, enabling us to meet the most demanding international standards and build trust with our trading partners.
We will also continue to pursue an active agenda of market opening and diversification. Our goal is to expand access for beef, pork, lamb, and poultry, as well as for new animal products and by-products, particularly in Asia, a region with enormous growth potential due to its increasing demand for high-quality protein.
Additionally, another priority is the modernization and digitization of health and certification processes. Implementing electronic certification and strengthening traceability will reduce time and costs, increase transparency, and facilitate safer and more efficient trade. Digital transformation is now a key tool for improving our international competitiveness.
Our challenge is to get more Chilean products into more markets, contributing to the growth of the sector, job creation, and the development of rural areas in our country.
In a scenario of greater health, traceability and sustainability demands in Asian markets, what challenges do you consider priorities for Chile to maintain and strengthen its position as a reliable supplier?
The main challenge is to continue strengthening the trust that Chile has built over decades in international markets. To achieve this, we must continue safeguarding our plant and animal health heritage, strengthening traceability and food safety, and advancing towards increasingly modern and efficient certification systems.
At the same time, Asian markets are demanding greater guarantees in terms of sustainability, transparency and risk management, so we must continue to incorporate innovation, digitalization and better production practices throughout the entire agri-food chain.
Chile has a significant advantage because it has a solid health institution, close public-private collaboration, and a recognized ability to meet the most demanding standards.
Our challenge is to continue strengthening these attributes to consolidate ourselves as a reliable, competitive, and long-term supplier for Asia and the rest of the world.
