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GENERAL TRENDS OF IMPORTED FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES

Imports of fresh and frozen fruits into the U.S. in 2005 were 8.1 million metric tons, worth

$4.6 billion, of which bananas and plantains accounted for 50.4% of the quantity and 24.7%
of the value. U.S. imports of fresh and frozen vegetables for 2005 were 5.1 million metric tons

and valued at $4.5 billion. As illustrated in Table 1.1, imports of these products have increased

significantly between 1990 and 2005, with an annual growth rate of 7.0% for fruits (excluding

bananas and plantains) and 6.7% for vegetables (excluding fresh and frozen potatoes). The

products driving imports’ growth during this period are avocados, citrus, mangoes, pineapples

and “other fruits” (mainly tropical and exotics) among fruits; and asparagus, lettuce, garlic, pep-

pers (including pimentos), and “other vegetables”, among vegetables.
Between 1990 and 2005 share of total fresh and frozen fruit imports (excluding bananas

and plantains) increased for avocados, berries and strawberries, citrus, mangoes, pineapples

and “other fruits,” indicating that their imports grew at a faster rate than the imports of the

whole fresh and frozen fruits’ category during this period (Figure 1.1). The increasing share of

imports for products not grown in the United States, such as mangoes, pineapples and “other

fruits” directly reflects consumption trends in the U.S. market and consumers’ increasing inter-

est in these products. Share for the rest of the products decreased between 1990 and 2005,

even though their imported volumes showed sustained growth as indicated in Table 1.1.

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