According to the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), foreign direct investment (FDI) in the region has recently shown a decline, influenced by U.S. tariff policy, which imposes effective tariffs of around 10% on Latin American countries.
In this regard, ECLAC indicated that this scenario could represent an opportunity to redirect trade in favor of regional exports in sectors such as apparel, medical devices, and agro-industry, as well as with other trade partners.
ECLAC also anticipated that Latin American exports to China, in particular, will show the largest increase in 2025, at 7%, underscoring the importance of strengthening trade relations with extraregional partners such as China, the European Union, India, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Gulf Cooperation Council, and the African Continental Free Trade Area.
