Inflation tame for banana imports

Inflation has been tame for banana imports.
Inflation has been tame for banana imports.
(File image)

Compared with some other foods, inflation was nearly a no-show for banana imports in 2022.

The average value of all U.S. banana imports was $497.70 per metric ton in 2022, up 4% from 2021. That compares with a 15% per unit increase year over year for imported avocados and a 16% rise for imported citrus, according to the USDA.

Despite supply chain challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, inflation in per unit banana costs has been restrained for several years, USDA trade statistics show.

The 2022 banana value of $497.50 per metric ton was up 5% from 2020, up 5% from 2019 and up 6% from 2018, according to the USDA.

By country of origin, the unit value for bananas in 2022 varied from a high of $1,169 per metric ton for bananas from Brazil to $240 per metric ton for bananas from Belize.

Here are 2022 metric ton banana values, by country of origin, with percentage change compared with 2021:

  • World total: $497.50, up 4%.
  • Brazil: $1,169.40, up 7%.
  • Jamaica: $1,047.30, down 26%.
  • Dominican Republic: $820.60, up 26%.
  • Colombia: $605, up 6%.
  • Costa Rica: $530.80, up 10%.
  • Mexico: $527.10, up 6%.
  • Peru: $500.40, down 9%.
  • Honduras: $497.70, up 7%.
  • Nicaragua: $495.80, up 12%.
  • Guatemala: $474.50, up 2%.
  • Ecuador: $467, up 2%.
  • Panama: $432, down 2%.
  • Belize: $240.20, up 11%.

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