Noteworthy Participation from ChilePork at Chile Week China 2016

The international promotion, Chile Week China 2016, organized by Direcon and ProChile ended with a Cooking show in Beijing where journalists from different media participated. The Chilean pork exporters, represented by the sectoral brand ChilePork, were protagonist in each different activities taken place, catching the interest of consumers, press, and importers from the Asian nation.

The Chile Week delegation, made up by representatives from different productive sectors of the country, was led by former President of Chile, Eduardo Frei, the Ambassador of the Special Mission in Asia Pacific and by the high authorities of the ministries of Agriculture, Economics and Development, Mining, Tourism, and Telecommunications.

During the event which was held between August 28th and September 2nd, ChilePork participated in different acts of broadcasting and meetings in the cities of Guangzhou and Beijing, among which were the Cooking Show, the “Flavors of Chile” dinner which is a strategic point of dialogue with local authorities and importers, the “Foods from Chile Market”, presented at the Grand View Plaza Mall at Guangzhou, and a large promotional event held at the Great Wall of China, with an array of different stands with products from our country.

During the cocktail at this historical monument, the participants paid special attention to the pork preparations, among which were Boiled Pork with Garlic Sauce, Pork Asparagus Roll, Mini BBQ Pork Burger, and Pork Plate. The most successful one was the Mini BBQ Pork Burger.

The participation of the pork sector was highlighted by local and national media, which revealed the positioning Chilean pork has reached at an international level. Today, China is the main destination market of the deliveries of the sector with figures that estimate a record of over USD 100 million in 2016. Despite that we are a small exporting country (regarding size), compared to the United States or the European Union, we compete head to head with the largest exporting countries, thanks to our high level of food safety, quality, and business advantages.

The President of ChilePork, Juan Miguel Ovalle, highlights the importance of these promotional events, as well as the increase of Chilean pork exports to China, which have grown in double digits throughout the past few years.

Likewise, he comments that the capacity of the exporters to innovate and adapt has been key since they have had to modify their production according to the requirements of their clients. “The Chinese consume many products that have bone in them; the Japanese and Koreans consume products that have a higher fat content, and today, Chilean exporters have learned to develop products in the form and with the characteristics the Asian consumer values.” Currently, exporters send non-traditional cuts to the Asian Giant, which have a greater value in China, such as hoof, head, and leg.

Ovalle also highlights the participation of the pork exporting sector in these activities is not just relevant to the Chilean pork industry, but to the country as an exporter of “Foods from Chile” foods, since it is “a great way to advertise the exportable offer of foods from Chile to the world.

He emphasizes that, “the sector has known how to take advantage of the opportunities offered in the commercial agreements, in which it has participated through negotiation teams. Thanks to the tariff advantage today, pork exports enter China paying 0% tariff”.

Source: Asprocer