Chile Posts Record Exports and Largest Trade Surplus in Its History
Cubierto por 3 fuentesPublicado
- mas cointainerChile reconfigures its copper export destinations: India surpasses Brazil among the main buyers
- Portal PortuarioRécord de exportaciones impulsa mayor superávit comercial de la historia de Chile
- datamar newsRecord Exports Drive Chile’s Largest-Ever Trade SurplusRecord Exports Drive Chile’s Largest-Ever Trade Surplus
Between January and September 2026, Chile posted the largest trade surplus in its history, at USD 25.721 billion, according to the preliminary Monthly Foreign Trade Report from the Undersecretariat for International Economic Relations (Subrei), prepared using figures from the Central Bank and the National Customs Service. Total trade turnover reached USD 166.985 billion, up 12.9% from the same period in 2025, and the result exceeded the figure for the first nine months of the previous year by USD 10.512 billion, surpassing the 2007 record, when the surplus had stood at USD 20.373 billion. Goods exports grew 18.5% to a record USD 93.837 billion, topping USD 90 billion for a January–September period for the first time; in September alone, shipments reached USD 10.584 billion, up 14.1% from the same month in 2025 and the highest level for that month on record.
Mining, Copper and Lithium
Mining was the main driver of this performance, accounting for 62.7% of cumulative exports at USD 58.873 billion, up 25.7% year-on-year. Copper alone generated USD 49.247 billion (+18.7%), with copper concentrates (USD 31.565 billion) and cathodes (USD 14.839 billion) as the leading products, against a backdrop of high international prices that averaged USD 6.09 per pound. The top buyers of the red metal were China (USD 21.122 billion), the United States (USD 8.687 billion), Japan (USD 6.139 billion), South Korea (USD 3.336 billion) and India (USD 2.817 billion), which bumped Brazil from fifth place after doubling its purchases with a 101.3% increase. Lithium shipments, meanwhile, nearly tripled from 2025 to reach USD 4.745 billion, with destination markets expanding from 16 to 20 countries, led by China with 74.5% of the total, followed by South Korea and Japan.
Non-Mining Exports
Non-mining shipments accounted for 37.3% of total exports and reached a record USD 34.963 billion (+8.2%), driven by chemical products, salmon, machinery and equipment, fresh fruit such as kiwis, avocados, plums and apples, and agro-industrial products such as frozen fruit and vegetable seeds. The food industry exported USD 10.712 billion (+5.2%), its highest figure on record for the period, with salmon accounting for 45% of those shipments and generating USD 4.770 billion, up 8% from 2025. The United States remained the top market for Chilean salmon at USD 1.975 billion, followed by Brazil (USD 773 million) and Japan (USD 606 million). Fisheries and aquaculture combined topped USD 7 billion over nine months for the first time, reaching USD 7.453 billion, while frozen fruit also set a record at USD 617 million.
Market Diversification
China remained the top buyer of Chilean goods, with USD 31.089 billion (+9%) and a 33.1% share of total exports, with lithium, iron, molybdenum, gold and salmonids among the standout products. The United States ranked second with USD 15.967 billion (+21.3%), equivalent to 17% of national shipments. Of the additional USD 14.673 billion exported compared with 2025, 63.4% went to markets other than China and the United States, with India standing out: its purchases rose 99.1% to USD 5.096 billion, driven by copper, gold, iodine, fresh apples, wood pulp and lithium. Japan, South Korea and Switzerland also posted strong growth, along with Bulgaria, Belgium, Canada, Bolivia, Brazil, Italy, the United Kingdom, Panama, Indonesia and Vietnam.
More Exporting Companies and Services
Export growth was also underpinned by a broader base of companies: during the first nine months of 2026, 8,029 companies shipped goods abroad, 232 more than in the same period of 2025 and the highest number on record for a comparable period, with manufacturing, services, mining and forestry as the sectors that added the most exporters. Services exports, in turn, reached a historic high of USD 2.718 billion (+17.3%), with digital services setting a record at USD 960 million, led by information technology and consulting, where the United States accounted for 53.6% of such services. Undersecretary Paula Estévez said the export record and the largest surplus in the country's history are positive signals for Chile, while highlighting efforts to consolidate key markets and diversify toward new destinations.
