U.S. FRUIT AND VEGETABLE IMPORTS

• This is a brief overview of the U.S. fruit and vegetable import situation in 1998.
• The fresh fruit category accounts for about 20 percent of all U.S. horticultural product imports, while the fresh vegetable classification accounts for about 15 percent.
• Although the United States has maintained a positive balance on fresh fruit trade, fresh vegetable trade is in deficit.
• Imports of fruits and vegetables reached record levels in CY 1998. Exports of fruits decreased 12 percent, while shipments of fresh vegetables remain unchanged.

FIGURE 1.
LATIN AMERICAN COUNTRIES SUPPLY MOST
OF THE U.S. IMPORT MARKET FOR FRUITS

• U.S. imports of fresh fruits reached a record $2.7 billion in CY 1998.
• Fruits from Western Hemisphere countries continue to supply most of the U.S. import demand for fruits.
• Trade agreements, such as the Caribbean Basin Initiative, have improved overall U.S. fruit trade with Latin American countries.
• Moreover, the fruit industries in many Latin American countries have continued to expand and have become far more organized and accustomed to U.S. regulations and market requirements.

FIGURE 2.
TROPICAL FRUITS ACCOUNT FOR MORE
THAN 50 PERCENT OF TOTAL U.S. FRUIT IMPORTS

• Tropical fruits, such as bananas, mangoes, pineapples, and plantains account for the bulk of U.S. fruit import demand.
• Bananas are by far the leading fruit imported. U.S. banana imports were valued at $1.1 billion in CY 1998, more than 40 percent of the total value of fruit imports.
• Ecuador (about 30 percent), Costa Rica (about 30 percent), and Guatemala (15 percent) supply most of U.S. banana imports.
• Besides bananas, grapes ($438 million) and mangoes ($132 million) continue to be the other major import items.
• Chile is the major supplier of fresh grapes, while Mexico is the largest supplier of mangoes.

FIGURE 3.
MEXICO DOMINATES THE U.S. VEGETABLE IMPORT MARKET

• U.S. fresh vegetable imports reached a record $2.1 billion in CY 1998, almost 30 percent more than imports in CY 1997.
• Mexico, at $1.5 billion, continues to be, by far, the dominant supplier of U.S. vegetable import demand.
• Other important suppliers include Canada and the Netherlands.

FIGURE 4.
TOMATOES LEAD U.S. VEGETABLE IMPORTS

• U.S. fresh tomato imports were valued at $758 million in CY 1998, up 17 percent from CY 1997, because of higher Mexican and Canadian sales.
• Mexico, at $567 million (up 10 percent) and Canada, at $100 million (up 70 percent) supplied close to 90 percent of U.S. tomato import demand in 1998.
• Besides tomatoes, U.S. vegetable imports consisted mostly of peppers ($356 million, up 39 percent), cucumbers ($159 million, up 56 percent), and onions ($150 million, up 18 percent).

FIGURE 5.
U.S. TRADE BALANCE IN FRESH FRUITS CONTINUES POSITIVE

• U.S. fresh fruit exports reached $1.8 billion in CY 1998, 12 percent below shipments in CY 1997. A stronger U.S. dollar vis-a-vis other countries’ currencies and the economic problems faced by countries in Asia, Eastern Europe, Russia, and Latin America and the associated disturbance in world currency values hampered overall U.S. fruit exports in 1998.
• Oranges, apples, and table grapes comprised half of U.S. fresh fruit exports.
• Excluding trade on noncompetitive items, such as bananas, the United States has maintained a surplus on fruit trade. However, this surplus eroded in CY 1998, decreasing to $250 million.
• U.S. fresh fruit imports also continue to increase.

FIGURE 6.
U.S. TRADE BALANCE IN FRESH VEGETABLES CONTINUES NEGATIVE

• Contrary to trade in fresh fruits, the United States has maintained a deficit on fresh vegetable trade, which in CY 1998 increased sharply to more than $1 billion.
• U.S. fresh vegetable exports reached $1.1 billion in CY 1998, unchanged from CY 1997.
• Lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and broccoli are the major exported items, accounting for about 45 percent of total U.S. fresh vegetable exports.
• U.S. fresh vegetable imports increased sharply in CY 1998 to a record $2.1 billion.

For more information, you may contact the author, Sam Rosa, on (202) 720-6086.

Last modified: Tuesday, May 08, 2001