Page 416 - FRUTAS DEL TRÓPICO

416 Frutas del trópico

Share of imports between 1990 and 2005 in the fresh and frozen vegetables’ category
(excluding potatoes) increased for asparagus, beans, eggplant, garlic, lettuce, okra, peppers

and pimentos, squash, and “other vegetables” (Figure 1.2). The introduction of new products

to the pepper market, such as a variety of colored bell peppers and hot peppers, have diver-

sified its market and improved the overall quality, thereby contributing to generating a growth

in demand, which is being increasingly supplied with imports. The products grouped under

“other vegetables” include the specialty vegetables and the roots and tubers demanded by

the Hispanic and Asian populations; they reflect retailers’ attempts to better service these ra-

pidly growing segments of the market. Tomatoes maintained their share of imports during the

period as consumption in the United States increased significantly, while share of imports for
the rest of the products decreased between 1990 and 2005, in spite of their growing import

volumes during that period (except for endive) as illustrated in Table 1.1.

Countries of origin of imported fruits and vegetables

Major origins for imported fresh and frozen fruits into the U.S. market are Mexico, Chile, Cos-
ta Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, and Canada. Between 1990 and 2005, imports from Mexico,

Costa Rica, and Guatemala were particularly significant, given both their imports’ volume in

2005 and their annual growth rates during this period. Other countries of origin are Nicaragua,

Netherlands, China, Belize, Italy, Philippines, Greece, Ecuador, and Brazil (Table 1.2).

Origins of imported fresh and frozen vegetables are more concentrated than for fruits,

with 54% of the volume in 2005 coming from Mexico and 33% from Canada (of which 65%

correspond to fresh and frozen potatoes). Annual growth rates for imports from both of these
sources between 1990 and 2005 were 3.4% for Mexico and 4.1% for Canada. During the

same period, imports from Ecuador, Denmark, Peru, Poland, and Panama were comparatively

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