Air Cargo Helps Power Peru’s Fresh Produce Export Boom

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) today released a report showing how air cargo has supported Peru’s strong export expansion and helped the country emerge as one of the world’s leading exporters of fresh produce.

Report highlights include:

• The value of Peru’s exports grew from $33.7 billion in 2015 to $90.1 billion in 2025, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.3% (about four times the global average of 2.19%).
  
  
• The value of fresh fruit and vegetable exports, often transported by air, more than tripled, increasing from $2.4 billion in 2015 to $8.1 billion in 2025. Peru is a global leader in fresh produce exports, including blueberries, asparagus, and fresh grapes.
  
  
• The growth of the agro-industry has a disproportionately large impact on employment as the sector is less than 10% of the total value of exports but accounts for just over 40% of export-related employment in Peru.
  
  
• Air cargo was key to enable the growth of time- and quality-sensitive non-traditional products, facilitating market entry and access to distant, premium markets.
  
  
• The outsize role of air cargo in Peru’s high value exports is demonstrated by it being the mode of transport for 23% of exported goods by value, while only accounting or 1.3% by export tonnage.
  
  

“Peru’s export success shows how air cargo enables countries to expand their economies with access to global markets. Reliable air connectivity allows producers to get time-sensitive products such as fresh fruits and vegetables to distant markets quickly while preserving quality, and enables entry into new markets and higher‑value segments. That connectivity helps farmers reach global consumers and supports jobs, growth, and diversification across the economy,” said Brendan Sullivan, IATA’s Global Head of Cargo.

“Peru’s export growth illustrates how reliable air connectivity enables time-sensitive industries to compete in distant, high-value markets. That same connectivity is equally critical on the import side, ensuring the timely arrival of inputs and technology that sustain the country’s productive capacity. At LATAM Cargo, our focus is to strengthen that connectivity with disciplined execution, because it supports both sides of trade and Peru’s long-term competitiveness”, said Andrés Bianchi, CEO of LATAM Cargo Group.

Read the full case study (pdf)

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IATA (International Air Transport Association) represents over 360 airlines accounting for some 85% of global air traffic.