Peru’s sector of non-traditional exports is riding the same high as the rest of the economy, as new official estimates say more than $14 billion worth of these goods will be exported from Peru this year.
Foreign Trade and Tourism Ministry (Mincetur) made those figures public Thursday, noting that it would be a record high for non-traditional exports. Mincetur officials noted that they have already exported $6.38 billion worth of non-traditional exports in the first semester of the year.
“Non-traditional exports will continue growing this year and we expect to reach $14 billion to set a new export record,” said Foreign Trade Minister Roger Valencia. “Overall, exports are expected to exceed US$50 billion in order to continue consolidating the sector as an engine of growth and employment in the country.”
Valencia noted that the growth in demand for cuttlefish has helped the non-traditional sector immensely. According to Mincetur numbers from January to June, cuttlefish exports raked in $403 million for Peru, up more than 50 percent from a year ago.
The fruit sector has also been good to Peru in the first half of the year, as sales of mangos, grapes, cranberries, mandarines and other fruits have led to positive gains. Similarly, metal exports have been up.
Shipments of textiles to other countries has yielded more than $600 million as that industry enjoys more than a year of constant growth in Peru.
In the first half of this year, traditional exports have enjoyed sums of $17.5 billion. Key to that has been the growth in mining, where billions more are expected to roll in from crucial investors in the country.