Frutas de Chile meets new USDA-APHIS director in Chile

Frutas de Chile has met with Amanda Elkhateeb, the new USDA-APHIS representative for plant protection, quarantine, and preclearance programmes in South America.

The meeting was held during Elkhateeb’s official presentation in Chile. She replaces Kelsey Branch, who has moved to a new role in Guatemala. Frutas de Chile was represented by its general manager, Miguel Canala-Echeverría.

The two sides discussed phytosanitary issues linked to Chilean fresh fruit exports, including the Systems Approach for table grapes, blueberries, and plums. They also reviewed the need to update procedures under the tripartite pre-shipment programme between USDA-APHIS, Chile’s Agricultural and Livestock Service, and Frutas de Chile.

Canala-Echeverría said the visit was important because Frutas de Chile and USDA-APHIS have worked together for more than 40 years through the pre-shipment programme. This system allows fresh fruit for the United States to be inspected in Chile before export.

Elkhateeb has worked with APHIS since 2011, when she began in the Plant Protection and Quarantine programme. She later held roles related to plant health safeguards, trade compliance, phytosanitary issues, and market access for US agricultural products.

The United States remains the main market for Chilean fresh fruit by volume. In the 2024/25 season, Chile shipped 859,699 tonnes of fresh fruit to the US. Table grapes accounted for 35% of the volume, followed by mandarins at 16%, oranges at 13%, clementines at 8%, lemons at 6%, and blueberries at 5%. Apples, nectarines, and plums each represented 3%.

source and photo: frutasdechile.cl