A South American nation occupying a long strip of land bordering with Argentina to its east, Peru to its north and Bolivia to its northeast, Chile shipped US$111.4 billion worth of exported products around the globe in 2025.

That dollar amount results from a 19.9% increase from $92.9 billion five years earlier during 2021.

Year over year, the overall value of Chile’s exports rose 7.8% compared to $103.3 billion in 2024.

Based on the average exchange rates for 2025, the Chilean peso appreciated by 0.8% against the US dollar from 2024 to 2025. Chile’s stronger local currency made its exports paid for in modestly weaker US dollars relatively more expensive for international buyers starting from American currency.

Chile’s most valuable export products are copper ores and concentrates plus refined and unrefined copper. Those copper-related product categories represent almost half (48.4%) of overall revenues from Chilean exports in 2025.

Chile Best International Trade Customers

The latest available country-specific data shows that 83.7% of products exported from Chile was bought by importers in: mainland China (35% of the Chilean total), United States of America (17.7%), Japan (7.5%), Brazil (4.7%), South Korea (4.4%), India (3.5%), Peru (2.2%), Netherlands (1.9%), Spain (1.88%), Mexico (1.83%), Germany (1.59%) and Switzerland (1.56%).

From a continental perspective, 54% of Chile’s exports by value was delivered to Asian countries while 20.8% was sold to importers in North America. Chile shipped another 12.6% worth of goods to buyers in Europe.

Smaller percentages went to customers based in Latin America (11.6%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, Africa (0.6%) then Oceania (0.4%) led by Australia and New Zealand.

Given Chile’s population of 20.2 million people, the total US$111.4 billion in 2025 Chilean exports translates to roughly $5,500 for every person in the Latin American nation. That per-capita amount surpasses the average $5,150 for 2024.

Chile’s Top 10 Exports

The following export product groups represent the highest dollar value in Chilean global shipments during 2025. Also shown is the percentage share each export category represents in terms of overall exports from Chile.

1. Ores, slag, ash: US$39.5 billion (35.4% of total exports)
2. Copper: $19.1 billion (17.2%)
3. Fruits, nuts: $9.7 billion (8.7%)
4. Fish: $7.7 billion (6.9%)
5. Inorganic chemicals: $4.9 billion (4.4%)
6. Gems, precious metals: $3.7 billion (3.3%)
7. Woodpulp: $3.2 billion (2.9%)
8. Machinery including computers: $2.7 billion (2.4%)
9. Wood: $2.1 billion (1.9%)
10. Beverages, spirits, vinegar: $1.6 billion (1.4%)

Chile’s top 10 export product categories generated 84.6% the overall value of overall Chilean shipments.

Gems and precious metals represent the fastest grower among the top 10 export categories, up by 117.3% from 2024 to 2025.

In second place for improving export sales was machinery including computers via a 32.8% advance.

Chile’s shipments of fruits, nuts posted the third-fastest gain in value, up by 17.1%.

The leading decliner among Chile’s top 10 export categories was wood, thanks to its -9.8% drop year over year.

Note that the results listed above are at the categorized two-digit Harmonized Tariff System (HTS) code level.

At the detailed four-digit HTS code level, the most valuable Chilean exports were copper ores and concentrates (31.2% of total), refined copper plus unwrought alloys (14.5%), molybdenum ores and concentrates (3.5%), miscellaneous fruits including apricots, cherries, peaches, nectarines and plums (3.4%), non-dissolving chemical woodpulp (3.1%), unrefined copper (2.6%), frozen whole fish (2.2%), iron ores and concentrates (2%), wine (also 2%) then hydrazine and inorganic salts (1.7%).

Collectively, the products mentioned above garnered about two-thirds (66.4%) of Chile’s total export sales.

Products Generating Biggest Trade Surpluses for Chile

Chile recorded an overall US$24 billion trade surplus in 2025, expanding by 1.6% from Chile’s $23.6 billion surplus one year earlier for 2024.

The following types of Chilean product shipments represent positive net exports or a trade balance surplus. Investopedia defines net exports as the value of a country’s total exports minus the value of its total imports.

In a nutshell, net exports equal the amount by which foreign spending on a home country’s goods or services exceeds or lags the home country’s spending on foreign goods or services.

1. Ores, slag, ash: US$38.4 billion (Up by 15.2% since 2024)
2. Copper: $19 billion (Down by -4.8%)
3. Fruits, nuts: $9.3 billion (Up by 17.9%)
4. Fish: $7.6 billion (Up by 5.1%)
5. Gems, precious metals: $3.6 billion (Up by 124.6%)
6. Inorganic chemicals: $3.3 billion (Down by -16.6%)
7. Woodpulp: $3.2 billion (Down by -4.7%)
8. Wood: $1.9 billion (Down by -11.8%)
9. Beverages, spirits, vinegar: $1.2 billion (Down by -4.6%)
10. Aircraft, spacecraft: $651.6 million (Up by 11%)

Chile has remarkably positive net exports in the international trade of copper, molybdenum, iron and zinc ores and concentrates. In turn, these cashflows indicate Chile’s strong competitive advantages for these essential construction materials under the ores, slag and ash category.

Products Causing Greatest Trade Deficits for Chile

Below are exports from Chile that result in negative net exports or product trade balance deficits. These negative net exports reveal product categories where foreign spending on home country Chile’s goods trail Chilean importer spending on foreign products.

1. Mineral fuels including oil: -US$12.7 billion (Down by -7.5% since 2024)
2. Electrical machinery, equipment: -$9.2 billion (Up by 31.6%)
3. Machinery including computers: -$9.1 billion (Up by 10.2%)
4. Vehicles: -$9.1 billion (Up by 21.1%)
5. Plastics, plastic articles: -$2.4 billion (Up by 5.3%)
6. Pharmaceuticals: -$2.3 billion (Up by 5.5%)
7. Optical, technical, medical apparatus: -$1.8 billion (Up by 14.3%)
8. Knit or crochet clothing, accessories: -$1.5 billion (Up by 17.2%)
9. Articles of iron or steel: -$1.4 billion (Up by 11.2%)
10. Iron, steel: -$1.3 billion (Up by 45.9%)

Chile has highly negative net exports and therefore deep international trade deficits for energy products historically refined and processed petroleum oils, petroleum gas and coal.

These cashflow deficiencies clearly indicate Chile’s competitive disadvantages in the international mineral fuels including oil markets, but also represent key opportunities for Chile to improve its position in the global economy through focused innovations.

Chile’s Major Export Companies

According to Forbes Global 2000 rankings, the following 8 companies are examples of major Chilean export companies.

• AntarChile (investment services)
• BCI-Banco Credito (regional bank)
• Cencosud (food retail)
• CorpBanca (regional bank)
• Falabella (department stores)
• Latam Airlines (airline)
• Quinenco (investment conglomerate)
• SQM Materials (diversified chemicals)

 
In macroeconomic terms, Chile’s total exported goods represent 15.7% of its overall Gross Domestic Product for 2025 ($710.2 billion valued in Purchasing Power Parity US dollars). That 15.7% for exports to overall GDP in PPP for 2025 compares to 15.3% for 2024. Those percentages suggest a relatively increasing reliance on products sold on international markets for Chile’s total economic performance, albeit based on a short timeframe.

Another key indicator of a country’s economic performance is its unemployment rate. Chile’s unemployment rate averaged 8.128% for 2025, down from an average 8.462% one year earlier according to International Monetary Fund statistics.

Chile’s capital city is Santiago.

See also Chile’s Top 10 Imports, Chile’s Top Trading Partners, Brazil’s Top 10 Exports and Top South American Export Countries

Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Country Profiles. Accessed on February 20, 2026

Forbes Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on February 20, 2026

International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Database (GDP based on Purchasing Power Parity). Accessed on February 20, 2026

International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on February 20, 2026

Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on February 20, 2026

Wikipedia, Gross domestic product. Accessed on February 20, 2026

Wikipedia, List of Companies of Chile. Accessed on February 20, 2026

Wikipedia, Purchasing power parity. Accessed on February 20, 2026

X-rates.com, Exchange Rates: Chilean Peso to US Dollar (monthly average 2025)

. Accessed on February 20, 2026