A Chilean-Backed Importer Wants a Tenth of the US Grape Market

Agribusiness

A bold bet on the US table grape market shows how South American fruit growers are pushing deeper into their biggest export destination.

The vehicle is Summit Produce. It is a US-based importer with offices in New Jersey and California, owned by a group of fruit heavyweights.

Its backers are notable. They include Chile’s Gesex, a large grower-exporter, and Costa Verde, the investment arm of Chile’s Cueto family.

The bet on the US table grape market

The ambition is clear. The company wants to capture around a tenth of all table grapes sold in the United States.

The business is already sizeable. Summit billed 105 million dollars last year and expects to reach about 125 million this year.

Grapes are the core. Roughly 70 percent of that revenue comes from table grapes, mostly grown in Chile and Peru.

The idea is vertical integration. The growers who created the importer now handle the sale all the way to the US shelf, capturing more of the margin.

Why the US table grape market matters

The United States is the prize. It is the natural, number-one market for South American grapes, taking more than half of Chile’s shipments.

The context is a shifting rivalry. Peru has overtaken Chile as the region’s top fruit exporter, and both feed the same US buyers.

The model spreads the risk. By sourcing from both countries, the firm can supply the US for a longer stretch of the year.

For a foreign investor, the read is structural. It shows growers moving up the value chain rather than just selling fruit at the farm gate.

There are headwinds too. A saturated market, tariffs and a switch to new grape varieties all complicate the push.

The company plays down the tariff issue. It argues the United States remains the natural market for the region’s grapes regardless of trade barriers.

Gesex is a serious grower. Founded in the late 1990s by a group of Chilean farmers, it exports mostly from its own fields.

The Cueto link is significant. The family is best known for its stake in the region’s largest airline group, and it has been building an agricultural arm.

Together they span two countries. The partners have built a combined Chilean and Peruvian supply base to feed the same US buyers.

The season is the edge. Sourcing from both countries stretches the supply window from spring through autumn, smoothing out gaps.

The retail relationship is key. Supermarket chains increasingly prefer to deal directly with producers, which favours an integrated group like this one.

The market is also crowded. Chile is trimming its US grape shipments this season amid oversupply, and Peru is expanding fast.

Variety renewal is reshaping the trade. Growers are replacing older grapes with new, sweeter varieties that command better prices and travel well.

For now, the target is a stretch. A tenth of the US market is a big share, but the group is betting that scale and control will get it there.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is targeting the US table grape market?

Summit Produce, a US-based importer with offices in New Jersey and California, is aiming for about a tenth of the US table grape market. It is backed by Chile’s grower-exporter Gesex, the Cueto family’s Costa Verde investment arm, and a Canadian produce firm.

How big is the business?

Summit billed about 105 million dollars last year and expects roughly 125 million in 2026, with around 70 percent coming from table grapes. The fruit is sourced mainly from Chile and Peru, the two largest South American suppliers to the United States.

Why does it matter?

It reflects a wider shift, with South American growers integrating vertically to control sales all the way to the US shelf and capture more margin. The strategy targets the United States, the number-one market for regional grapes, even as competition intensifies and Peru overtakes Chile in fruit exports.