Punta Arenas Business Showroom Begins New Chapter of Trade with Falkland Islands

October 23, 2026
FIDC

A delegation of 42 representatives from the Falkland Islands joined counterparts in Punta Arenas for two days of targeted meetings aimed at rebuilding commercial links and supporting a proposed direct shipping service.

More than 800 business meetings took place over two days, as approximately 150 participants from both the Falkland Islands and Chile recently descended on the city of Punta Arenas for a Business Showroom event, exploring supply and partnership opportunities across sectors such as construction, food and drink, agriculture, and retail, as part of the development a shipping link between Stanley, Falkland Islands, and Punta Arenas, Chile.

Organised by the Municipality of Punta Arenas in collaboration with Easter Island Naviera, the Falkland Islands sent its largest ever business delegation from the Falkland Islands, 42 business representatives from the Falkland Islands representing 37 businesses and associations, which was met by more than 100 business representatives from over 60 Chilean businesses.

With the Falkland Islands contingent led by the Falkland Islands Development Corporation (FIDC), the two-day Business Showroom from Monday the 28^th to Tuesday the 29^th of September 2026, in collaboration with the Valparaiso, Chile-based shipping company Easter Island Naviera, and was held at the Hotel Cabo de Hornos, bringing together Falkland Islands and Magallanes businesses for a concentrated programme of introductions, 1-2-1 meetings and commercial discussions.

The week began with welcome speeches from Claudio Radonich, Mayor of Punta Arenas, Andrés Montero J, prominent Chilean Businessman, Pablo Pacheco, General Manager of Easter Island Naviera, and Louise Ellis, Deputy Managing Director of FIDC.

“The proposed re-established shipping route could acquire greater importance as the Falkland Islands economy develops over the coming years,” said Louise Ellis, Deputy Managing Director of FIDC, who has been the shipping link project lead. “The maritime link was assessed on the basis of existing commercial requirements, rather than that of the offshore oil industry.”

The two days of meetings were presented as the beginning of a longer-term commercial process rather than a one-off trade mission. Follow up meetings, visits and tours were held during the remainder of the week, with all delegates developing a full itinerary of meetings and site visits, where more in depth and focused commercial conversations and negotiations played out.

The goal of the Business Showroom was to convert interest into supplier/buyer relationships and establish contracts that would justify the opening of a trading corridor between Chile and the Falkland Islands.

At the center of the initiative is the proposed direct maritime service operated by Easter Island Naviera, with the inaugural sailing planned for the first week of December 2026. The route will complement the existing monthly freight service from Montevideo, Uruguay, giving businesses greater choice and assisting to strengthen the resilience of the Islands import and export network.

“Since 2019, we have operated the supply route between Valparaíso and Rapa Nui, one of the most demanding logistical operations in the country,” said Pablo Pacheco, General Manager of Easter Island Naviera. “We have also developed services related to the Chilean Antarctic, working in conditions where planning, safety, and responsiveness are essential. That experience is what we want to put at the service of Magallanes today.”

Visit of Warehouse Space in Punta Arenas, secured by Easter Island Naviera

Based on the attendees of the Business Showroom in Punta Arenas, potential cargo from Chile includes fresh fruits and vegetables, dairy products, timber and other construction materials, animal feed, livestock, heavy plant and machinery, vehicle, spares, wines and beers. A direct service to and from Punta Arenas would also improve access to time-sensitive goods, shortening supply chains and creating new opportunities for Falkland Islands exporters, as well as suppliers in Punta Arenas and the wider Magallanes region.

The event renewed a long-standing commercial relationship between both communities. Direct shipping links between the Falkland Islands and Chile operated for decades before becoming financially unviable in the early 2000’s.

FIDC began consultations in 2025 with the Islands private sector, Chilean shipping companies and the Municipality of Punta Arenas after identifying sufficient appetite to revisit the connection and subsequently produced a background report for stakeholders. The proposed Chile route is intended to complement the existing successful monthly service from Uruguay, creating supply chain resilience.

“A visit by a business delegation from Chile in 2024, and the FIDC-led delegation visit to Punta Arenas and Santiago in 2025 really accelerated the drive to turn this from simply a ‘nice idea’ to a legitimate opportunity,” said Zachary Franklin, Managing Director of FIDC. “For the Falkland Islands delegation, the Business Showroom provided direct access to potential suppliers and partners in one place. For businesses in Southern Chile, it offered a clearer view of the demands within the Falkland Islands, and an opportunity to enter or expand within the market. The level of participation and the volume of meetings provided a strong foundation for the next stage, turning conversations into sustainable trade between the two communities, and ensuring that the proposed shipping link is supported by regular commercial activity.”

“It’s all about getting solutions at the best prices and getting the best products to the Islands,” said Mike Summers, Director of the Falkland Islands Chamber of Commerce, describing the two days of meetings as a ‘good beginning’ that is to be assessed as the commercial relationship develops. “The demand extends beyond food and construction materials, to retail and healthcare with supermarkets particularly interested in fresh fruits and vegetables from the Magallanes region.”

The potential value of trade is significant. According to Summers, the Falkland Islands annual retail expenditure alone is close to 20 million Pounds, and said he believed that it was realistic that several millions of pounds a year could eventually be spent in the Magallanes region if the relationship develops on a profitable basis. He stressed that the proposed Chilean connection would not replace existing supply routes but could complement goods arriving from Europe and Uruguay, whilst potentially replacing some U.K. sources products where Chilean suppliers can offer shorter delivery times and competitive prices.

“For the Falkland Islands, the attraction is not simply geographical proximity but the possibility of a substantially shorter supply chain,” said Ellis, describing Punta Arenas as the closest metropolitan centre to the Islands, and noting that Islanders already regularly travel throughout Chile for holidays.

There is a clear ambition from Easter Island Naviera to make the shipping service commercially self-sustaining rather than treating it simply as a transport project. Ellis said the ultimate objective is to see vessels carrying meaningful volumes of cargo in both directions. “What we really want to see is a full ship.”

Summers described the visit as “a journey to connect the past with the future”, adding that the Falkland Islands had worked with Punta Arenas and Magallanes for many decades before those links were interrupted.

For Punta Arenas, the ambition extends beyond supplying individual orders. Claudio Radonich, Mayor of Punta Arenas, described the city of Punta Arenas as a major supply centre of the Falkland Islands, and presented it as an opportunity to become the Falkland Islands’ “great supermarket”.

Emily Gilbert

Rural Business Association & Little Creek Farm

“There is genuine willingness of Chilean businesses to help (re)establish trade links with the Falkland Islands. Across agriculture, logistics, construction and manufacturing, businesses consistently expressed enthusiasm for closer commercial engagement and a desire for the new shipping route to succeed.

Several businesses indicated that they viewed the Falklands not simply as a market but as a long-term commercial partner. Given the historic connections between Punta Arenas and the Falkland Islands, there appears to be a genuine appetite to rebuild and strengthen those relationships through practical business links.”

Neville Hayward

Seafish Chandlery

“The level of engagement exceeded my expectations, and it was encouraging to see such strong interest from both existing and prospective business partners.

Our primary objective was to re-establish relationships with previous suppliers and business contacts while also identifying new opportunities for future growth. I am pleased to say that we achieved both aims. In fact, there were considerably more potential new suppliers than I had anticipated, which was a very positive outcome. Several discussions showed real promise, and I believe there are opportunities to broaden our product offering and strengthen our supply chain moving forward.”

Krizelle Macaraig

Goodwin Limited

“We had the chance to meet a range of suppliers and businesses in person and discuss the materials, equipment, furnishings and finishing products we need for our construction and maintenance work.

The Showroom, together with the follow-up meetings and visits, made the trip especially productive. It opened a lot of doors for us and gave us new contacts and possibilities to explore.”

Arturo Guala

Groovy’s Restobar & Groovy’s Tattoo Studio

“We made some very good contacts, met a lot of people and created strong connections that could be very useful for the future. I am very excited about the possibility of making this route something solid and beneficial for everyone living in the Falkland Islands. We were only a small group participating in the Showroom, but we represent a much larger group of people who could potentially benefit from and be interested in this commercial route.”

Laura Yon

Stanley Services Ltd

“The experience was both amazing and overwhelming – I met so many businesses and learnt a lot in such a short space of time. But I can honestly say that by forming these relationships, it will help the island as a whole, to take full advantage of the future shipping link. It is especially pleasing to know that practically all local industries can benefit from this new venture. I could feel the enthusiasm from all of the Chilean businesses that participated in the event, and some went above and beyond to show everything that they have to offer.”

For more information on Easter Island Naviera’s new route to Stanley, Falkland Islands:

Easter Island Naviera

Easter Island Naviera (EIL) is a Valparaiso, Chile-based company, specialising in logistics and maritime transport services, with years of experience in supply work mainly on the Valparaíso – Easter Island route, as well as other areas of the country. EIL’s services are aimed at comprehensively solving the logistics needs of their clients, both in insular and continental areas, in an efficient and timely manner.