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Chile launches business platform to boost food exports to China

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-07-29 15:31

The Chilean government has launched a business platform to promote food exports to China.

Chilean Vice Economy Minister Jean-Jacques Duhart told a press conference on Tuesday the project would be co-financed with capital of 750 million Chilean pesos ($1.4 million), with 60 percent of the money coming from the public sector.

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The platform, called FoodLinks, will be based in Shanghai. A commercial office will open there in September to help Chilean food exports adapt to the Chinese market.

"The products will have distribution channels as well as direct and easy commercialization, which will reduce the dependence on international prices, will generate more valuable products and will be more profitable," Duhart said.

The platform will focus first on medium and big companies specializing in meat, sea products and wine processing.

The Chilean government would launch 10 business platforms this year to promote business innovation, Duhart said.

He said business platforms were a "strategic intelligence" tool, which would allow companies to get closer to clients and consumers and thereby increase product diversity and add value.

Chile and China signed a free-trade agreement in 2005, boosting business exchanges between the two countries in recent years.

China is currently the main destination of Chilean exports.