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On March 5, 2025, Colombia's National Institute for the Surveillance of Food and Medicines (INVIMA) confirmed that starch is approved by the Colombian government as an additive for use as a thickener and stabilizer agent in fresh cheese.

The United States is a major trading partner with the Dominican Republic (DR). The DR is the largest economy in the Caribbean and the seventh-largest economy in Latin America. Since the Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) went into effect for the DR in 2007, U.S. agricultural exports to the DR have increased from $1 billion in 2007 to $2 billion in 2024.

In 2023, Peru was the 28th-largest market for U.S. agricultural exports, valued at $851 million, making it the 3rd-largest market in South America. The U.S.-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement (PTPA) entered into force in February 2009, and U.S. agricultural exports reached $1 billion for the first time in 2014, peaking at $1.36 billion in 2018. The United States accounts for 14 percent of Peru's agricultural import market share, positioning it as the second-largest supplier to the country.

On January 14, 2025, the Panamanian Food Agency (APA) and the Ministry of Health of Panama confirmed that the dairy plants registration process has been significantly expedited, resolving a trade barrier created on July 17, 2023.

On January 18, 2025, Colombia's National Institute for the Surveillance of Food and Medicines (INVIMA) confirmed that cellulose is approved by the Colombian government as a cheese additive for use as an anti-caking agent in grated and/or granulated fresh cheese for surface treatment.

New labeling requirements for dairy products that may impact U.S. exports to Chile will come into effect on January 9, 2025.

Discrepancies between the information provided on the export certificate and the information on the label of the package in U.S. dairy products is causing recurring detentions at the ports of entry in Chile.

U.S. agricultural exporters of consumer-oriented products are well-positioned to increase sales to Guatemala. In 2023, U.S. consumer-oriented export values reached a third-consecutive record on 15 percent growth from the previous year (Figure 3).

In 2024, Argentina's dairy production faced significant challenges, primarily due to severe weather and economic issues which led to a projected 7 percent decline in milk output, estimated at 10,708 metric tons (MT).

The Chilean dairy sector is crucial to the economy, producing milk, cheese, butter, yogurt, and powdered milk. In marketing year (MY) 2024, milk receipts increased by two percent to 1,293 million liters, and fluid milk production rose by seven percent.

FAS/Canada projects modest milk production growth in 2025, based on a slight increase in fluid milk consumption, and steady requirements for industrial milk.

Milk production in Brazil for 2024 is expected to increase by 1 percent to 25 million metric tons (MMT) and to increase again in 2025 to 25.4 MMT.