Acoforag Demands Urgent Measures to Protect Chilean Forestry Employment and Industry
In response to the recent imposition of tariffs on Chilean forestry exports to the United States, the Association of Forestry Contractors A.G. (Acoforag) expresses its deep concern and rejection of this measure, which will directly affect employment and the stability of the national forestry sector.
Our guild has been severely hit by the structural crisis that the forestry activity has been facing for years. This decision worsens an already critical situation, marked by:
• Territorial capture in the Southern Macrozone by violent groups that destroy lives, machinery, and sources of employment with impunity.
• The absence of afforestation policies to recover the forestry heritage and support small and medium-sized landowners.
• The concentration of ownership in a duopsony that controls the market and sets abusive conditions.
• Intentional fires that have devastated more than 350,000 hectares, affecting production and employment.
• The flight of investments due to lack of legal certainty and security for entrepreneurship.
Over the last decade, more than 50 contractors have disappeared, and at least 3,500 direct and indirect jobs have been lost. If the State does not act, the country is heading towards another "Huachipato case," this time in the forestry sector, with irreversible social and economic consequences.
The forestry sector is a source of employment, regional development, and contribution to the economy. Without urgent measures for protection, promotion, and security, Chile will continue to lose its productive capacity and thousands of families their livelihoods.
Concepción, October 14, 2025
