Led by berries, U.S. fruit imports surge by double digits

Berry imports are big and getting bigger, trade statistics show.

U.S. imports of fresh and frozen fruits rose by 11% in value from September 2020 through August 2021, newly released trade statistics show.

At $16.7 billion in value for the 12-month period, U.S. fresh and frozen fruit imports compared with $14.95 billion for the same period last year and $14.6 billion two years ago, according to trade numbers reported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Imports of berries (excluding strawberries) saw a gain of 23%, with fresh or frozen strawberry imports up 34%, kiwifruit up 17%, pineapples and citrus up 15%, mangoes up 10% and grapes up 8%.

U.S. imports of fresh vegetables rose 7% from September 2020 to August 2021, the USDA said. Pegged at $10.47 billion for the period, U.S. fresh vegetable imports compared with $9.78 billion a year ago and $8.84 billion two years ago.

Top gains in U.S. fresh vegetable imports were seen with cabbage (38%), radishes (29%), lettuce (23%), peas (19%), beans (15%), cauliflower (13%), onions (10%), peppers (10%), and cucumbers (9%).

Exports 

Exports of U.S. fruits and vegetables saw modest gains from September 2020 to August 2021, the USDA reported.

U.S. fresh fruit exports totaled $4.47 billion in the period, up 2% from the same period last year and up 3% from two years ago.

U.S. exports of berries saw a gain of 7%, with melon, orange and peach exports also rising by 7%. Total citrus fruit exports were up 5% in value; apple exports rose 2%, according to the USDA. 

U.S. exports of fresh vegetables totaled $2.61 million for the September 2020 to August 2021 period, up 2% from the same period last year but down about 4% compared with two years ago.
U.S. exports of onions were up 13% in the period from September 2020 to August 2021 compared with the previous year. Exports of cucumbers were up 29%, with garlic up 21%, potatoes up 9%, cabbage up 19% and mushrooms up 15%.

Exports of cauliflower (-5%), tomatoes (-10%) and carrots (-6%) saw declines, the USDA said.