Dates International Trade Could Be a Challenging Opportunity for Fruit Export Diversification for Chile

Chile has become a impresive fresh fruit exporter, being first in the Southern Hemisphere and third in the world after the USA and Spain, totaling over 2.4 million MT to 70 different countries. Diversification plays an encouraging role in handling new fruits. One of the best examples is Blueberry, which was nonexistant in the country in 1980. Today Chile is second-largest world exporter of the crop. Chile is not a date fruit producer, but in the north climate conditions are conducive for its production, as shown in in the Esmeralda Experimental Station, in the Pica Oasis, and some others areas in the northern area and where it is grown for as an ornamental. Dates (Phoenix dactyliferaL.) are produced and consumed in the world in great volumes at attractive prices. A study was conducted for the 2009-2013 to annalize volume and prices of world import/export countries. Carefull consideration was given to transaction prices for each of the countries that export and import dates. The data obtaines was  analyzed with regards attractivness of the market, competitiveness, and attractivness to import countries. The source of data was Trademap of the International Trade Center. During the period of this research the world exports of dates reached an average  of 715,000 tons/year, mainly from Iraq, Pakistan, Iran, and Tunisia, with an average FOB value of US$1.180/ton--equivalent to an average total of US$841 million/year. The imports averaged 700,000 tons/year with a CIF value  of US$1,110 tons/year and a total value of US$ 776 million/year, maily from India, Morocco, and France. Both, imports and exports grew during the research period (2009-2013) 7.6% and 10.3% respectively, as an annual average. We detected that the date import/export trade increases during the last 5 month of a year, showing higher unit value mainly due to Ramadan and New Year's festivities. The information showed that Tunisia unit value and volume of exports of date fruits with higher values during 2009-2014 than the world average, becaming the most competitive exporter. Malaysia appears as the most promising importer, showing an average CIF value of US$2,050/ton and an average rate of gowth of 6%. The analysis conducted in this work presents a promising future of date fruit production and export from the desert areas of northern Chile.