Commercial maps of the main Latin American countries in the international olive oil market

Abstract

Aim of study: World trade in olive oil is undergoing structural changes, with the emergence of new relevant actors, notably South American countries. The objective of this study was to analyze the performance of emerging Latin American countries in the world olive oil market during the period 2010–2019.

Area of study: Major Latin American countries within an international context.

Material and methods: The study was conducted through an analysis of trade networks, the application of the export growth decomposition method, the index of import dependence, and competitiveness matrices developed from the statistical evolution of import share and market share indicators.

Main results: European countries continue to dominate international trade in olive oil, however, Chile and Argentina have managed to widen their role. Chile was the country with the highest growth rate in olive oil exports in terms of value and volume in the period analyzed, whereas Argentina was below the world average. Prices in general have been stagnant, although price variability between countries can be distinguished. This may be due to the re-export policy of some countries, the qualities, the format, and some intrinsic characteristics of the markets.

Research highlights: Chile and Argentina figure prominently for their commercial capacity, with the former focusing mainly on the USA and Brazilian markets, and the latter on the Spanish.