Utah and Peru Building a Strong Trade Relationship

The relationship between Utah and Peru is heating up. Utah was named the No. 1 importer of “traditional” Peruvian products in the United States for 2011, according to data released by the Peruvian government agency that promotes exports and tourism in Peru, Prom Peru.

“Traditional” products, according to the Prom Peru survey, include minerals, petroleum, natural gas and produce. Utah imported 22 percent of all goods sent from Peru, coming in at the No. 2 spot for most imports overall. Florida came in first at 23 percent.

According to Lew Cramer, president and CEO of World Trade Center Utah, Utah and Peru have been working well together at work and at play. “Between the Peruvians living in Utah and Utah residents who have visited and volunteered in Peru, there is a strong, solid connection that is already evidenced in both the growth of imports and exports, and we will continue to build on this positive relationship,” he said in a prepared statement.

“This isn’t surprising news,” said Honorary Consul to Peru in Utah David Utrilla, also in the prepared statement. “Ties between Peru and Utah have been growing exponentially in the last few years and I believe it’s only going to continue.”

According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, primary metals were Utah’s top import from Peru, while across-the-board imports increased from $360 million in 2010 to $476 million in 2011—an increase of 32.3 percent.

Peru is Utah’s fourth-largest import trade partner by dollar value, behind Mexico, China and Canada. For more information please visit:
http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/statistics/state/data/imports/ut.html">http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/statistics/state/data/imports/ut.html