USDA estimates that Chilean exports to the U.S. will amount to no more than 12,000 metric tons of boneless breast meat, which is less than one percent of U.S. production of boneless breast meat. Whether Chile will actually be able to sell even that much in this country remains to be seen, the National Chicken Council said.

“We also look forward to reciprocity with Chile so that Chilean consumers can enjoy American chicken,” said Bill Roenigk, senior vice president and chief economist of the National Chicken Council. The U.S.-Chilean free trade agreement in 2004 called for reciprocity in the recognition of sanitary and veterinary requirements between the two countries. The U.S. poultry industry currently exports more than $3 billion worth of product around the world each year.

The National Chicken Council represents integrated chicken producer-processors, the companies that produce, process and market chickens. Member companies of NCC account for approximately 95 percent of the chicken sold in the United States.