The Chilean capital of Santiago de Chile (shown here) will be one of five destinations now serviced by Cargolux in the region.  Shutterstock

The Chilean capital of Santiago de Chile (shown here) will be one of five destinations now serviced by Cargolux in the region.  Shutterstock

In a communiqué, Pier Curci, VP of the Americas for Cargolux, called the move “a testament to the importance of the region in global trade lanes, especially when it comes to perishables such as fruit and flowers.”

The US-based Produce Marketing Association has called Chile “one of the most important stakeholders in the food industry worldwide”, with an estimated 45% of its fruit production being exported while fresh.

According to the Cargolux statement, the Chilean capital also serves as a gateway through which European product--including electronics, machinery, pharma, etc.--increasingly enter Latin American markets. 

The connection includes routing through four other destinations in the region: Viracopos, Brazil; Quito, Ecuador; Bogota, Colombia; and Aguadilla, Puerto Rico.  

The OECD predicts growth in Chile will remain above 3% in 2019-2020; in 2018, the economy’s growth rate was the highest it had been since 2013, “led by investment and buoyant non-mining sectors”. 

Based in Luxembourg, Cargolux serves over 75 worldwide destinations and boasted a net profit in 2018 of €188m. It operates 85 offices in over 50 countries.