A significant decline in trade with Chile drove a 10% decline in Brazilian fruit imports during the first 10 months of this year, according to national statistics service Aliceweb.

Imports from January to October were registered at 391,701 metric tons (MT) compared to 437,000MT over the same period last year.

Total imports during 2016 ended up at 547,000MT. For the three years prior they had been registered between 496,000MT and 574,000MT.

Chile, which last year overtook Argentina to become the leading fruit supplier, saw its exports to Brazil drop 40% over the 10-month period to 89,000MT. Meanwhile, Argentine exports fell 13% to 123,000MT. 

Spanish exports remained stable at 52,000MT, while there were increases for Portugal and Italy of 21% and 48% respectively.

Fresh pears, which represent almost two-thirds of imports, saw shipments decline 3% to 85,000MT. Dried grapes, which includes rasins, fell 15% to 16,000MT and fresh apple imports dropped by half to 9,000MT.

Chilean apple exports to Brazil saw a huge decline of 63% year-on-year to 29,000MT.

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