Peru, one of the world's leading fruit producers, is opening new markets for its exports in Asia, hoping that continent will soon displace the U.S. as the largest buyer of one of its main agricultural products.

The Andean nation is the world's leading exporter of blueberries, especially to the US, where the antioxidants in this fruit have made it a very popular product among health-conscious consumers.

Now, the Minister of Agriculture, Angel Manero, is working to change this situation, he said during an interview following a trip to Japan, Indonesia, and Korea. Although Manero downplays the impact of U.S. tariffs on Peruvian agriculture, he is aware that they are a sensitive issue.

 “The United States gets upset when we talk about Asia, but we believe Peru needs to diversify its agricultural product offering,” Manero said this Friday. “And we believe Asia offers great opportunities.”

Beyond the U.S. tariffs, Peru is already opening new trade routes with Asia, in part due to the new Chinese-owned port of Chancay, which cost US$1.300 billion.

This infrastructure was inaugurated in 2024 by the Chinese president Xi Jinping And its biggest advantage is that it can drastically shorten travel times to Asia, a key aspect of extending the shelf life of fresh fruit.

When it reaches its full potential in about three years, Chancay will give Peru more negotiating power with buyers by reducing exports to the U.S. and Europe and increasing them to Asia, the minister said. Peru still needs to sign health protocols with importing countries to allow the entry of fresh fruit.

"Asia would displace the US because it consumes a lot of blueberries," he said. "If all goes well for us, we'll open up Japan and India as new markets this year."

Agreements with Indonesia and China have been finalized. Korea remains a more distant target.

Peru exported a record US$2.300 billion worth of blueberries last year, a 36% increase over the previous year, according to the Ministry of Commerce. The industry and Manero forecast a 20% growth for the 2025 season. According to him, these growth rates can only be maintained by opening new markets.

Manero is encouraged by the recent passage of a bill reducing the income tax on agribusiness companies from 30% to 15%.

This bill is controversial, as its detractors argue that the state should not cut taxes on a booming sector. Manero has been a staunch supporter of the measure, stating that the industry's growth and the jobs it creates more than outweigh those concerns.

The government has supported the bill, although the president Dina Boluarte has not yet made it law.