SANTIAGO, Chile, Feb. 13 (UPI) -- Chile's table grape industry expects a lower supply to the United States during the peak export month, projecting a 10% decline compared with 2025 as producers continue a shift toward newer varieties and adjust shipments amid market oversupply.
Ignacio Caballero, executive director of the Chilean Fruit Table Grape Committee, told UPI the reduction partly reflects ongoing varietal replacement, with traditional grapes being replaced by more competitive ones. He added that excess table grape supply in the U.S. market also is behind the expected decline.
"The 2026 season will be a year of adjustment, consolidating the varietal replacement with new varieties, which this year will account for 72%. Five years ago, only 36% of exported grapes were new varieties," Caballero said.
Industry projections indicate Chile will export 34.7 million boxes of fresh grapes weighing about 18 pounds each to the United States during the season. The United States accounts for just over half of Chile's global table grape exports.
Caballero said the global table grape sector is facing a complex time due to oversupply and unimpressive demand.
