Chile's dairy exports rise 6.4% through August to 321.7 million litres of milk equivalent

Chilean dairy exports reached 321.7 million litres of milk equivalent between January and August, 6.4% above the same period of 2025, according to figures published by the Federación Nacional de Productores de Leche (Fedeleche) using data from Odepa.

The result extends a multi-year trend. For the same eight-month window, exports stood at 245.0 million litres of milk equivalent in 2022 against 321.7 million in 2026, an increase of 76.7 million litres over four years. Fedeleche noted that the composition of the export basket matters as much as the volume itself.

Four categories account for about 80% of shipments

Measured in milk equivalent, whole milk powder holds a 28.7% share and remains one of the most important products for the international positioning of the Chilean industry, Fedeleche reported. Condensed milk follows closely at 26.8%, so the two categories together exceed 55.5% of the total.

• Whole milk powder: 28.7% of exports in milk equivalent
• Condensed milk: 26.8%
• Gouda cheese: 13.1%
• Infant preparations: 11.1%

Together these four lines concentrate roughly 80% of Chilean dairy exports expressed in milk equivalent.

Whole milk powder drives the increase

Chile shipped 16,098 tonnes of whole milk powder in the first eight months, an 18.8% year-on-year increase and the most prominent move of the period. Colombia took 58.0% of those shipments, ahead of Brazil with 11.5% and Cuba with 9.6%.

Prices were weak through the first four months of 2026 at roughly US$3,340-3,670 per tonne, below 2023-2025 levels, before rebounding sharply to US$4,500 per tonne by August, the highest reading in the series for that month. Fedeleche said the gain matters because it strengthens Chile's presence in a product tied directly to the international dairy commodity market.

Condensed milk steady, gouda under pressure

Condensed milk shipments totalled 24,355.7 tonnes between January and August, 1.3% below the same period of 2025, with a slight decline in the most recent month. The United States remains by far the leading destination with 65.3% of exports, followed by Peru with 11.7%, Costa Rica with 8.3% and Ecuador with 3.7%. Prices held relatively firm at US$2,250-2,450 per tonne, above 2024 and 2025, which Fedeleche reads as a sign that the volume dip reflects a demand ceiling or market adjustment rather than price weakness.

Gouda cheese was the weakest line. Exports reached 6,266 tonnes, down 8.7% year on year, with Mexico absorbing 88.5% of shipments. It is the only product whose 2026 price sat consistently below the previous three years across the whole period, at US$4,480-4,590 per tonne against US$4,600-4,760 per tonne in 2023-2025, pointing in Fedeleche's assessment to genuine market weakness rather than a base effect after the 2025 peak.

Destinations differ sharply by product

Infant preparations posted one of the largest relative gains, with shipments of 4,850 tonnes, up 34.1% from a year earlier. Brazil absorbed 57.5%, followed by Ecuador with 19.3%, the United States with 6.1% and Canada with 3.8%. Prices stayed high at US$5,200-5,700 per tonne in the first half, above 2023-2025 for much of the year, making it the only category growing in volume and price at the same time.

Each category has found a specific market: the United States dominates condensed milk purchases, Colombia leads in whole milk powder, Mexico takes practically all the gouda and Brazil is the main buyer of infant preparations. Fedeleche said that distribution reduces the dependence of the overall basket on a single destination, although each individual category shows a high level of concentration in its main buyer. The fall in gouda was offset by growth in whole milk powder, condensed milk and infant preparations.

The 6.4% increase comes as the Chilean dairy chain argues for a deeper international presence and greater market diversification. With 321.7 million litres of milk equivalent exported through August, the country enters the second half of the year with an expanding dairy trade and a basket in which traditional commodities coexist with more processed products.