This port leads the U.S. in Mexican tomato imports
U.S. imports of Mexican tomatoes through all ports in 2022 totaled $2.48 billion, up 4% from $2.387 billion in 2021.
Of that total, the port district of Laredo, Texas, accounted for 57% of all Mexican tomato value, followed by Nogales, Ariz., with 27% and San Diego with 13%, according to USDA trade numbers.
By port, the USDA reported Mexican tomato value through Laredo ports was up 8% in 2022 compared with 2021, with Nogales ports down about 1% and San Diego district ports down about 5%.
Monthly dominance
By month, USDA numbers show that the port of Nogales accounted for as much as a 43% market share of all U.S. tomato imports in April and as low as a 14% market share in July and August.
The top value months for U.S. tomato imports crossing through Nogales in 2022 were January through April when monthly imports topped $80 million each month.
For Laredo district ports in Texas, the USDA reported a top market share of 62% in October. During the January through April time frame, Laredo accounted for between 50% and 57% of tomatoes received by all U.S. ports. The top value month for Laredo ports in 2022 was November when Mexican tomato crossings topped $155 million, according to the USDA.
The port of San Diego had a 13% market share during all of 2022, with a peak market share between the three ports of 25% in July. The top month in the value of fresh tomato crossing at the port of San Diego was also July when the value of Mexican tomato crossings topped $43 million.
2022 U.S. imports of Mexican tomatoes by port:
- All ports — $2.48 billion.
- Laredo, Texas — $1.41 billion.
- Nogales, Ariz. — $662.5 million.
- San Diego — $312.2 million.
Source: USDA
