MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

China became in 2010 Chile’s biggest provider for consumable goods

The Asian giant became the main provider of 23 products among which computers (72%) and cell phones (57%)

Chilean Central Bank data this week confirmed ha China is now the biggest provider of consumable goods to the country. In 2006, the main providers of consumable goods to Chile were the US, Argentina and Brazil.

In 2006, China was the main provider of 23 products, while just four years later, in 2010 China was the main provider of 26 products in Chile

As an example of the radical change, in 2006, 41% of computers in Chile were imported from China. But in 2010, China provided 72% of all imported computers.

Likewise, in 2006, 39% of cell phones were imported from Mexico and 30% from Brazil. Today, however, China provides 57% of cell phone imports.

China’s biggest increases are in textiles and technology. In fact, the most-imported products from China in 2010 were liquid crystal display monitors, digital cameras, shirts, sweaters and shoes.

The main imports from the US, whose income from imports is currently 9.3 billion US dollars, are combustibles.

If the US did not export combustibles, China would be the leading overall supplier to Chile.

According to Chile’s Central Bank, China and the US combined represent 30% of Chile’s total imports.

By Phil Locker – Santiago Times