Peru's exports totaled $63,521 million between January and July 2026, a 33% increase over the same period last year, with copper and gold accounting for much of the gain, according to trade figures cited by La República.
Mining products made up nearly three quarters of that total, reaching $46,284 million. The seven-month result also marked 27 consecutive months of export growth for the South American country.
Copper and Gold Drive the Mining Surge
Copper brought in $21,607 million between January and July, a 43.3% increase from the same period of 2025. Gold generated $16,394 million, up 56.9%.
Together, the two metals accounted for roughly $38,000 million, close to 60% of all of Peru's registered exports through July. Peru is one of the world's largest copper and gold producers, and mining has long been the backbone of its export economy.
The rest of the mining sector also posted strong gains. Lead and silver concentrates reached $3,504 million, up 105.7%, while zinc sales totaled $1,669 million, an 11% rise.
Agricultural Exports Grow More Slowly
Agricultural exports told a different story. The sector brought in $6,327 million between January and July, just 2.7% more than a year earlier.
Some individual products performed strongly. Blueberry shipments reached $649 million, up 60.8%, while grape exports totaled $806 million, an increase of 18.2%. Avocados, one of Peru's flagship agricultural exports, generated $1,187 million, up 7.3%.
Even so, the gap with mining remains wide. The $6,327 million in agricultural exports amounts to less than a seventh of the $46,284 million generated by mining over the same period, showing that the overall export growth was not spread evenly across sectors.
China Stays on Top, India Surges
China remained Peru's largest export market. Sales to China reached $24,340 million between January and July, up 37.5% from the same period of 2025.
The United States followed with $5,971 million, and the European Union took $5,618 million worth of Peruvian goods.
The sharpest change came from India, where Peruvian exports reached $6,184 million, a 151.7% jump from a year earlier. Sales to Australia rose 132.9% to $1,530 million, and exports to Switzerland grew 62.2% to $2,323 million. Exports to Canada totaled $3,277 million, up 29.2%.
Why Are Exports Rising So Fast?
The 33% rise in the dollar value of exports does not necessarily mean Peru shipped 33% more goods abroad. The figures are also shaped by international commodity prices, which matter most for minerals such as copper and gold given their weight in the country's export basket.
The $63,521 million total therefore needs to be read alongside the composition of Peru's foreign sales. The result reflects a significant expansion of foreign trade, but it also shows how exposed the country is to swings in its main mining products. Growth in some non-traditional exports, by contrast, appears to owe more to higher shipped volumes and rising demand in specific markets.
More Than 8,300 Companies Exported
The rise in foreign sales came alongside a larger number of companies participating in trade. A total of 8,305 exporting companies were registered between January and July, 3% more than in the same period of 2025. Of those, 66% were micro, small and medium-sized enterprises.
The figures show that thousands of companies take part in Peru's exports, even though most of the economic value stays concentrated in a handful of sectors and products, particularly minerals.
The seven-month result leaves Peru with strong export growth overall, but one that remains closely tied to mining's performance. How international copper and gold prices move, together with demand from China, India and other markets, will determine how much of this growth can be sustained through the end of 2026.
