Peruvian leaders host visiting Utah delegation, eager to promote trade with state

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Peruvian leaders, who held a series of meetings with a visiting delegation from Utah, view the state as a key trading partner.
The Utah delegation, which included Senate President Stuart Adams, flew to Peru on Delta's inaugural Salt Lake City-Lima flight.
Peru's Foreign Ministry says the new Delta route to Peru "opens a promising chapter for commerce, investment and tourism."

LIMA, Peru — Peruvian leaders consider Utah a key trading partner in the United States and are eager to strengthen trade ties with the state.

Utah Senate President Stuart Adams traveled to the South American nation with a trade delegation from the state last week, and Peruvian Foreign Minister Eric Anderson Machado, for one, hopes to bolster economic ties. His office has issued three statements since the Utah group arrived in Utah, waxing optimistically about the possibilities.

The bilateral meetings — the latest of several dating to last year — coincide with the launch last Thursday of direct commercial flights for the first time between Salt Lake City and Lima, the Peruvian capital, via Delta, the U.S. air carrier. The new route "opens a promising chapter for commerce, investment and tourism and greatly improves connectivity to the Peruvian community living in Utah and the West Coast of the United States," the ministry said in a statement Monday.

Adams, a Layton Republican, and other members of the Utah delegation met with Anderson last Friday at the Foreign Ministry offices in Lima, followed by meetings over the weekend in Cuzco, the jumping-off point for visitors headed to Machu Picchu, a global tourist destination. Anderson said in a statement Friday that Peru considers Utah a "fundamental" trading partner within the United States, particularly in minerals, infrastructure and the agricultural industry.

Creation of the Peruvian Consulate in Salt Lake City last year is "a clear reflection of the government's commitment to this strategic relationship and the 40,000-plus Peruvians living in the state," the ministry said. In contrast to the Peruvian Foreign Ministry population estimate, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the foreign-born Peruvian population in Utah as of 2022 at 7,901.

Utah Senate President Stuart Adams, left, and Peruvian Foreign Minister Eric Anderson Machado on Monday, Dec. 8, 2025, during a visit to Cuzco, Peru. A Utah delegation traveled to Peru to discuss trade opportunities. (Photo: Peruvian Foreign Ministry)

Adams, for his part, said in a statement on Monday to KSL.com that Delta's new commercial route between Salt Lake City and Lima is a milestone event as the first direct flight from Utah to South America. He was to leave Peru for the return trip to the United States on Monday. "This is a strategic step that enhances Utah's status as a global hub for commerce, culture and tourism, opening new opportunities for citizens and businesses," Adams said.

Among the other members of the Utah delegation to Peru were Utah Sen. Luz Escamilla, D-Salt Lake City, and Jefferson Moss, executive director of the Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity. The members of the Utah group were on last week's maiden Delta flight to Lima.

During the visit to Cuzco, representatives from the two sides explored opportunities to trade a range of local products, including coffee, cocoa, corn and native fruits. International demand for such goods is growing and their export, the ministry said Monday, "could strengthen Peru's presence in specialized consumer niches."

While the Foreign Ministry statements didn't point to any specific trade deals or accords, the trade mission underscores a seeming interest on both sides in strengthening relations. A trade mission from Utah traveled to Peru in September 2024 and a delegation of Peruvian lawmakers visited Salt Lake City in December 2024, among other visits. The Peruvian government opened the consulate in Salt Lake City in July 2024.

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