Chile’s salmon-farming sector has been voicing concerns over significant environmental and regulatory hurdles as of late, and the challenging situation is beginning to take a toll on the industry, which saw growth stagnate in 2024.
Farmed salmon and trout continued to be the country’s largest non-mining export product in 2024, representing 5.5 percent of total exports for the year. The nation exported 782,076 metric tons (MT) of salmon and trout, bringing in USD 6.37 billion (EUR 6.18 billion), according to the latest figures from Chile’s National Customs Service.
In comparison, Chile exported 774,531 MT in 2023, with a total value of USD 6.46 billion (EUR 6.27 billion), according to the National Customs Service – marking a 1 percent increase in volume and a 1.4 percent drop in value. In 2022, the country sent 751,156 MT abroad worth a total USD 6.59 billion (EUR 6.4 billion) – a respective 3.1 percent increase and 2 percent decrease from 2023.
Chile’s top five export markets in 2024 were the United States, Japan, Brazil, China, and Russia in that order.
Leading the pack, the United States received 235,934 MT of salmon and trout from Chile in 2024, valued at USD 2.58 billion (EUR 2.5 billion). In 2023, shipments to the U.S. reached 253,632 MT worth a total USD 2.8 billion (EUR 2.72 billion) – a respective drop of 6.9 percent and 7.8 percent.
Chile also sent 157,444 MT worth USD 1.08 billion (EUR 1.05 billion) in 2024 to Japan, compared to 137,040 MT at a value of USD 933 million (EUR 906 million) in 2023 – up 14.9 percent and 16.3 percent, respectively.
Brazil was Chile’s most important market in Latin America.
Customs figures show that in 2024, 146,597 MT of Chilean salmonids were shipped to the Latin American market for a total value of USD 915 million (EUR 888 million). It performed well when compared to 2023, when 135,951 MT of farmed salmon and trout were exported for USD 829 million (EUR 805 million) – a respective increase of 7.8 percent and 10.2 percent.
China proved to be a disappointing market for Chile during 2024.
A total of 41,536 MT of Chilean salmonids were shipped to the Asian market for a value of USD 270 million (EUR 262 million) – down 4.7 percent in volume and 12.6 percent in value when compared to 2023’s exports of 43,626 MT for USD 310 million (EUR 301 million).
Meanwhile, 32,684 MT were exported to Russia in 2024, reaching a value of USD 224 million (EUR 217 million), falling 31.2 percent in volume and 34.5 in value from 2023 figures of 47,528 MT for USD 342 million (EUR 332 million).
“We closed 2024 with total shipments that represented 6 percent of total Chilean exports, which keeps salmon as the most important non-mining product,” SalmonChile President Arturo Clement. “We expect a better performance for 2025, depending on global macroeconomic circumstances and international prices.”
SalmonChile noted, however, that there are also several challenges closer to home.
“Ensuring the sustainable growth of [fish farming] requires advances in modern regulations, legal certainty, and a real commitment from the authorities to strengthen competitiveness,” the association said. “While competitors such as Norway are already charting their path to 2050, Chile has a unique opportunity to lead from the south of the world. Will we take it?”
In a recent survey held by polling agency Cadem, aquaculture came in last place of the general public’s view of relevant industries in the country, chosen by just 5 percent of the public and coming in behind mining (chosen by 67 percent of those polled), agriculture (29 percent), energy (24 percent), services (22 percent), IT (14 percent), forestry (9 percent), banking (7 percent), and fishing (6 percent).
Over half of the public surveyed did not know that Chile is the second-largest producer of farmed salmon in the world and is responsible for 33 percent of the salmon produced globally, trailing just Norway, which produces 48 percent.
Beyond the communications challenge, salmon-farming executives have bemoaned a lack of a unified plan for aquaculture in Chile, leading to complications when considering overlapping interests between the Indigenous population, conservationists, the salmon-farming industry, and artisanal fishers in the country. Environmental NGO activism and strict government control, which some observers see as overzealous, have led to a very challenging landscape for Chile’s salmon farmers.
As a case in point, Chile’s government granted zero environmental concessions in the salmon sector in 2024 and precious few permits during the few years before that.
“The environmental application process has become so expensive and uncertain that it discourages companies from even applying,” Blumar CEO Gerardo Balbontin said in December at an event reviewing Chile’s economic development.
