Materie rare, meccanica, infrastrutture. Cile hub per le pmi in America Latina

Cile, a country in Latin America often overlooked by Italian businesses, could prove to be a stable and well-structured nation, noted for its liberal market culture and economic competitiveness. This is according to Luciano Marocchino, a fashion entrepreneur and president of the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Chile, who belongs to a network of 86 Italian Chambers of Commerce abroad, in association with Assocamerestero.

Marocchino believes now is the right time to invest in Cile. The new government, led by José Antonio Kast Rist, has introduced an economic and fiscal plan aimed at revitalizing industrial and foreign investments, reducing business taxation, promoting employment, and simplifying regulatory and bureaucratic procedures. Additionally, an EU-Cile trade agreement went into effect in February 2025, removing tariffs on nearly all European exports and streamlining trade rules.

Italy, already the ninth-largest supplier to Cile with nearly 1.3 billion euros in exports in 2025, is considered a reliable and high-quality partner, particularly in industrial goods such as mechanical, chemical, construction, and transport sectors. However, competition is fiercer in consumer goods, where price-driven logic prevails. Despite this, the president of Marocchino asserts a cultural shift is occurring, especially among younger generations.

Growth opportunities in Cile are vast. Italy currently supplies only 2% of the market, while China and the United States are the primary partners, accounting for 32.7% and 17% of Cile's trade, respectively. However, Marocchino explains that "for Italy and the European Union, there is room for important opportunities in strategic sectors like energy, infrastructure, industry, green technologies, agro-industry, digitalization, and raw material processing, where the country shows a strong interest in diversifying suppliers to reduce dependence on a single partner."

In particular, the search for rare or critical materials and renewable energy presents a significant opportunity for Italy and the EU, not just for exports but also for supplying the Italian industry. The stage is set, with major Italian companies already securing key roles. Eni recently acquired a 25% stake in Black Giant SpA, an energy company in Chile developing a lithium project in the north of the country, with an investment of around 225 million dollars.

Other notable companies include Enel, operating through Enel Chile, one of the main local energy generation, distribution, and commercialization entities. Other Italian companies in Cile include Ferrero (through its subsidiary Agrichile), Epta, Reale Seguros, Mapei, and Savino Del Bene, among others, generating a combined revenue of approximately 6.6 billion euros and employing 15,900 people.

While the "big" players dominate, 90% of Italian firms in Cile are SMEs, small and medium-sized enterprises that can greatly benefit from the country's new industrial and commercial policies, also supported by the Italian Chamber of Commerce.