President Donald Trump aims to use import tariffs to boost domestic production and address trade imbalances. Jan Kees Boon of Fruit & Vegetable Facts analyzed the trade balance.
Domestic production stable to declining, imports growing
The United States remains the world's largest importer of fresh fruit and vegetables. Over the past year, imports increased slightly to 22.58 million tons, with the total value rising sharply to over $33 billion. By value, U.S. imports are twice as large as those of Germany and China, which rank second and third, respectively. In terms of volume, U.S. imports are nearly three times higher than those of Germany. From this perspective, the Netherlands ranks third, ahead of China.
Domestic vegetable production has remained stable for a long time, while fruit production has been steadily declining. Meanwhile, imports of both fresh vegetables and fresh fruit continue to grow.
Fairly dependent on imports
To meet domestic demand for fresh fruit and vegetables, the United States relies heavily on imports. On average, more than one-third of fresh vegetables consumed annually are imported. After years of steady growth, this share has stabilized in recent years.
Exact figures on the proportion of imported fresh fruit are not available, but some sources suggest it exceeds 50%. While this estimate may be slightly high, it is certainly at least one-third.
These figures represent annual averages, but import levels vary by month. Imports mainly fill gaps when domestic production is lower, whether due to seasonal limitations, unfavorable weather conditions affecting quantity and quality, or lower-priced foreign competition.
Vegetable production stable for a long time
The production of fresh market vegetables in the United States has remained relatively constant at around 17 million tons since the 1990s. In contrast, imports of fresh vegetables have steadily increased, reaching 8.64 million tons last year. The United States also exports fresh vegetables, bringing the total annual supply for the domestic market to about 23 million tons, with imports accounting for more than one-third.
Onions and leaf lettuce are the most important fresh vegetables grown in the United States. Onion production has declined slightly in recent years to 2.9 million tons, while leaf lettuce production has increased to 2.7 million tons. Head lettuce is another major crop, with production at 2 million tons. Sweet potato production has been falling and is now at 1.1 million tons. Carrot production has remained stable at around 1 million tons annually, as has tomato production for the fresh market. Other key vegetable crops include pumpkins, cabbage, corn, celery, broccoli, peppers, spinach, cauliflower, and paddy rice.
Imports of fresh vegetables continue to grow
Imports of fresh vegetables reached 8.64 million tons last year. Tomatoes are by far the most imported vegetable, with U.S. imports rising to 2.13 million tons in 2024, up from 1.84 million tons in 2020. Around 90% of imported tomatoes come from Mexico, with Canada supplying nearly 200,000 tons.
Pepper imports reached 1.27 million tons last year, with most coming from Mexico and 156,000 tons from Canada. Cucumbers ranked third, with imports increasing to 1.18 million tons. While Mexico is the primary supplier, Canada also provided 287,000 tons. Other major imported vegetables include onions (635,000 tons), zucchini (505,000 tons), cabbage (494,000 tons), carrots (295,000 tons), and asparagus (234,000 tons).
Mexico remains the dominant supplier, accounting for nearly 7 million tons of total vegetable imports. Canada contributes around 1 million tons, while Peru (onions and asparagus) and China (garlic, ginger, and sweet potatoes) also play key roles.
Recovery of fresh vegetable imports from the Netherlands
After years of decline, U.S. imports of fresh vegetables from the Netherlands rebounded significantly in 2024. In 2018, imports exceeded 30,000 tons before dropping to less than 10,000 tons in 2023. However, by 2024, imports had nearly doubled to almost 20,000 tons. Peppers remain the top Dutch export to the U.S. (11,000 tons), followed by onions (6,500 tons).
Fruit production steadily declining
U.S. fresh fruit production has been steadily declining in recent years, falling below 21 million tons. At the end of the last century, production was as high as 30 million tons. The most significant declines have been in grape and orange production, which have fallen to below 6 million and 2.5 million tons, respectively.
Grapes remain the most important fruit crop, followed by apples, which reach more than 5.5 million tons in a good year. Oranges rank third. Other major fruit crops include strawberries (1.4 million tons), lemons (1.1 million tons), tangerines (just under 1 million tons), pears (670,000 tons), peaches (around 600,000 tons), and cranberries (400,000 tons).
Fresh fruit imports have been increasing annually, reaching nearly 14 million tons by 2024. Bananas remain the top import, with fairly stable volumes of around 4.7 million tons. Ecuador is the primary supplier, followed by Costa Rica, Honduras, and Colombia.
Pineapples rank second among fruit imports, with volumes reaching 1.32 million tons in 2024. Avocado imports continue to grow, rising to 1.22 million tons last year. Other significant fruit imports include lemons, watermelons, grapes, mangoes, and melons.
Pineapples are primarily sourced from Costa Rica, while lemons and watermelons come predominantly from Mexico. Grapes are imported from Chile, Peru, and Mexico. Mangoes are mainly sourced from Mexico, while melons primarily come from Guatemala.
Exports mainly to Canada
The United States also exports significant quantities of domestically grown fresh fruit and vegetables, totaling 4.3 million tons last year. Apples are by far the most exported product, followed by onions, oranges, lettuce, sweet potatoes, grapes, watermelons, strawberries, and cauliflower/broccoli.
More than half of U.S. exports go to Canada, with Mexico as the second-largest buyer. At a much greater distance, Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan follow. The Netherlands ranks next, with U.S. exports totaling 79,000 tons last year, the vast majority of which were sweet potatoes.
In addition to exporting domestically grown produce, the United States also re-exports about 1.5 million tons of fresh fruit and vegetables annually. Bananas are the most commonly re-exported product, followed by tomatoes and pineapples. The vast majority of these re-exports go to Canada.
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For more information:
Jan Kees Boon
Fruit and Vegetable Facts
www.fruitandvegetablefacts.com
fruitvegfacts@gmail.com