For decades, Chile was synonymous with off-season blueberries. It was the country that helped consolidate the supply for consumers in the Northern Hemisphere during their winter and even held the world leadership in exports until 2019.

That scenario changed rapidly.

The growth of Peru, the emergence of new origins and, especially, the arrival of varieties with better attributes of firmness, size and post-harvest condition were modifying the competitive position that Chile had built, while increasing the quality demands of the markets.

The IBO Global Blueberry Report 2026, however, identifies signs of a new stage within that transition process.

The data shows that the change isn't happening solely through volume. The adaptation strategy includes new genetics, quality, market diversification, organic products, processing, and efficiency.

Exports are growing again

Chile closed the 2025/26 season with approximately 92.900 tons of fresh blueberries exported, a growth of 2,7% compared to the previous season and above initial estimates.

But the most interesting fact lies behind that growth.

Exports of new varieties increased by 14%, while traditional varieties declined slightly. New genetics went from representing 21% of shipments the previous season to 24% of the total, one of the clearest indicators of the transformation the sector is undergoing.

Chile is not only looking to export more blueberries: the reconversion is also changing the type of fruit that reaches the markets.

Europe gains importance on the trade map

The distribution of destinations is also changing.

Europe received 46.768 tons, equivalent to 50% of Chilean exports, representing a 20% increase. The Netherlands saw a 25% increase and the United Kingdom a 5% increase. The United States, traditionally a key market for Chile, came in second with a 37% share and a 13% decrease in volume, which the report attributes to tariff and trade factors. Canada, on the other hand, experienced a 32% increase.

Asia declined by 7%, mainly due to lower shipments to China, although Taiwan grew by 84% and South Korea by 11%. Latin America, meanwhile, increased by 11,7%, with Argentina and Brazil accounting for the majority of regional shipments. The IBO attributes this latter growth to the reactivation of promotional activities in both markets, as well as their consumption potential, proximity, and complementarity.

Overall, the data show a redistribution of shipments, with a greater weight from Europe and new areas of growth in destinations such as Argentina and Brazil.

Organic and frozen

There are two other particularly relevant figures.

Chilean exports of fresh organic blueberries grew 15%, to approximately 18.234 tons, equivalent to one-fifth of fresh shipments.

But the most significant increase occurred in frozen products. Chile closed 2025 with 72.464 tons of frozen blueberries, 46% more than the previous year.

The IBO interprets this evolution as part of a strategy in which fruit and varieties that no longer fit well into fresh programs find a place in the processing industry, while Chilean companies continue to develop and diversify markets for this segment.

Costs begin to shift the competitive equation

Another element highlighted by the report is the economic evolution of different origins.

Regions traditionally considered low-cost face greater pressures on labor, water, land, and inputs, while some countries considered expensive begin to improve their efficiency.

In that context, a source consulted by the IBO indicates that some new Chilean plantations are registering lower capital and operating costs —excluding labor— than in Peru.

The same testimony summarizes the trend by noting that several places historically considered expensive are reducing costs while raising quality.

If this evolution consolidates, it could modify part of the competitive equation for the coming years.

Repositioning is not guaranteed

The report also does not idealize the Chilean situation.

The 2025/26 season started earlier and was more concentrated due to a high accumulation of growing degree days. Varieties like Duke were harvested approximately 20 days earlier than usual, with lower dry matter, smaller average size, and softer fruit at the beginning of the season.

The lower availability after the peak season also created an opportunity to export fresh fruit that, in a normal season, would have ended up in processing. The summary from the Blueberry Committee, incorporated by the IBO, itself acknowledges that some of that fruit arrived in a condition that did not meet the standard Chile is trying to establish.

Chile's recovery will not be decided solely by tonnage.

Chile has already faced a loss of reputation associated, among other factors, with an inconsistent perception of quality, aggravated during the logistical problems of the pandemic.

Consistency therefore remains a central condition for sustaining repositioning.

Even so, the IBO continues to recognize structural strengths such as export infrastructure, agronomic knowledge, diversity of microclimates, access to markets and openness to innovation.

It is still too early to talk about a fully consolidated recovery.

What the data does show is that the Chilean industry is beginning to find a new way to compete, with a greater emphasis on new varieties, changes in its markets, and a production structure that seeks to gain efficiency without losing sight of quality.

Rather than recovering the past, the challenge seems to be in building a different competitive position.