Imports of fruits, vegetables and other consumer-ready foods have shown much more rapid in the past ten years than bulk commodities, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture report.
According to to the report, U.S. food imports grew from $41 billion in 1998 to about $78 billion 2007, the USDA Economic Research Service report said. The agency said bulk commodities like wheat, corn, cotton and sugar showed an import growth of 14% in the 1998 to 2007 period, while consumer ready food products, including fruits and vegetables, rose by more than 100%.
Fruits and nuts
The report said U.S. imports of fruits and nuts more than doubled in ten years, climbing to $14 billion in 2007. The agency said growth was observed in both fresh and processed imports.
Growth in fresh imports appears tied to proximity of supplying country, the agency said, and U.S. phytosanitary requirements.
A broader array of supplier countries was reported for processed fruit imports.
The agency said Mexico accounted for about a quarter of the value of fruit and nut imports. Chile ranked second, Costa Rica came third and China was fourth. Together, those four countries account for 60% of all U.S. fruit and nut imports.
On a strictly fresh basis, Mexico represented 30% of the value of fruit and nut imports, followed by Chile with 26%.
Vegetables
The USDA said imports of fresh and processed vegetables grew from $3.4 billion in 1997 to $6.9 billion in 2007.
Of that total, the agency said fresh vegetables account for 60% of the 2007 import value, with frozen, dried or preserved vegetables accounting for 15% and remaining processed products accounting for 25%.
Mexico’s share of total U.S. vegetable imports was 45% to 50% from 1998 to 2007, while Canada accounted for 20% to 25% of the total, the report said.
Of fresh vegetable imports, the USDA said Mexico represents about 70% of all U.S. fresh vegetable imports, while Canada’s share is 15% to 20%.