U.S. banana imports in 2018 declined moderately in volume but rose slightly in value.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that U.S. imports of bananas totaled 4.2 million metric tons in 2018, down 4% from 2017. By value, imports of bananas totaled $1.91 billion in 2018, up 2% from 2017.
The leading supplier of bananas to the U.S. in 2018 was Guatemala, accounting for 1.88 billion metric tons, down 5% from 2017. By value, imports of Guatemala bananas totaled $851.4 million, up 2% from 2017. Guatemala accounted for 45% of volume and value of total banana imports, according to the USDA.
Other leading suppliers of bananas in 2018 to the U.S., by value and compared with last year, are:
- Costa Rica: $399.9 million, down 10%;
- Honduras: $218.5 million, down 1%;
- Ecuador: $189.2 million, up 16%;
- Mexico: $136.2 million, up 19%; and
- Colombia: $104.8 million, up 15%.
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