Ambassador of Bolivia to China Hugo Jose Siles Nunez del Prado Photo: Courtesy of the Bolivian Embassy in China

China is opening up its doors wider to receive products with high demand, becoming a formidable market to redirect Bolivia's exports, which currently face additional tariffs in the US, Ambassador of Bolivia to China Hugo José Siles Núñez del Prado said in an exclusive interview with the Global Times.

The remarks came after Bolivian President Luis Arce recently praised the export of 25 tons of chia seeds from the Latin American country to China as "a historic milestone," describing China as a new market with huge potential, Prensa Latina reported.

The Bolivian president stated that there is no limit on the volume of chia seed exports to China and that this could help redirect exports currently destined for the US, where a 10 percent tariff has been imposed, adding that exports of sesame and other products are also being managed.

The chia trade will increase from the 10,000 tons that Bolivia currently exports to 35 countries annually to 25,000 tons in the Chinese market alone, which translates into about $33 million per year, said the ambassador. 

He noted that "in the next five years, we could reach production of 50,000 tons per year, and with this, Bolivia will become the world's leading exporter of chia," adding that the export of chia seeds to the Chinese market is a historic event in the commercial agenda of both Bolivia and China.

Alongside exports of beef, soybeans, quinoa and sesame, the first generation of export products from Bolivia to China, the Latin American country has incorporated new export products to the Chinese market, such as chia, sorghum, meat by-products, leather and hides, with chicken and pork in the process, according to Siles. He noted that this is very meaningful for bilateral trade as "this diversification in Bolivia's export offerings introduces new products to the market."

Additionally, small quantities of coffee, sparkling wine, Singani liquor and chocolate are being exported to China, he said, adding that there is extraordinary potential to increase exports through e-commerce platforms in China. 

In 2024, China-Bolivia bilateral trade reached $2.73 billion, up 5.4 percent year-on-year, according to China's General Administration of Customs. China's imports from Bolivia grew by 18 percent, highlighting the strong potential of the Chinese market for products from the Latin American country.

While agricultural products are the booming sectors in bilateral trade, the largest potential in terms of exports is closely tied to the industrialization of Bolivia's natural resources, including lithium carbonate plants that will produce battery-grade lithium carbonate in the coming years, said the ambassador, noting that this product is expected to be exportable to China, bringing significant revenues to Bolivia.

Siles also criticized the US' protectionist policies. "With the abusive and unilateral tariff rates imposed by the US on the world, in clear violation of the World Trade Organization, not only could a global economic recession occur, there will also be a clear redirection of export trade," he noted. 

In response to challenges posed by Washington's tariffs, countries in the Latin American region are accelerating efforts to find more reliable markets, with China emerging as a key partner and playing an increasingly important role in trade.

The ambassador said that "in Bolivia, as in other Latin American countries, there are already plans to change export markets... China, far from closing its market and imposing arbitrary tariffs, is opening up to receive products with high demand, becoming a formidable market to redirect Bolivia's exports."