Peru produced 4,713 tonnes of alpaca fiber in 2025 and recorded export growth of 9.1 percent in the first five months of the year, reinforcing the country’s position as the world’s leading supplier of the material, according to figures from the exporters association ADEX.
Shipments of alpaca fiber and related products totaled US$88.8 million between January and May 2025, up from the same period in 2024. More than 90,000 families in the Andean highlands depend on alpaca herding for their income, according to the Ministry of Agrarian Development and Irrigation, known as Midagri. Peru is home to around 4.6 million alpacas, representing more than 80 percent of the world population of the species.
China, Italy and the United States lead demand
China was the top buyer in the January-to-May period, purchasing US$29.6 million worth of Peruvian alpaca fiber and products. Italy ranked second at US$20.3 million and the United States third at US$14.6 million. Together the three countries accounted for 72.7 percent of the total export value, per ADEX data. Other markets included Germany, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom, South Korea, Denmark, and Canada.
Raw fiber remained the dominant export category, representing 59 percent of shipments at US$52.4 million, a year-on-year increase of 15.5 percent. Finished goods such as garments and textiles made up the remaining 41 percent, totaling US$36.3 million.
Puno and Arequipa anchor the industry
Alpaca herding is concentrated in Peru’s southern and central highlands, with Puno holding the largest share of the animal population, followed by Cusco, Arequipa, Huancavelica, and Ayacucho. On the export side, Arequipa leads due to its concentration of processing and trading companies. ADEX figures show the region logged US$74 million in alpaca fiber exports and derivatives in the first five months of 2025.
Production moves through several stages, from shearing and sorting through washing, combing, spinning, and garment-making, allowing part of the output to reach international buyers as raw material and the rest as finished products.
Industry calls for a livestock census
Despite the positive trade figures, industry representatives say more work is needed to strengthen competitiveness. Carlos Penny-Bidegaray, president of the ADEX Textile Committee, said a national census of South American camelids was a priority, arguing that updated population data was essential for better sector planning. The association also called for improvements in herd productivity and fiber quality to meet international buyer requirements around fiber diameter and batch consistency.
Midagri said it is continuing programs focused on genetic improvement, technical assistance to producers, certification of fiber classifiers, support for collection cooperatives, and expanded access to financing and innovation tools for the alpaca supply chain.
