Imports play an increasingly important role in ensuring that fresh fruit and vegetables are available year-round in the U.S. Since the 2008 completion of the transition to tariff- and quota-free trade among Mexico, Canada and the U.S. under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), U.S. fresh fruit and vegetable imports have increased with few interruptions.
From 2007 to 2023, the percent of U.S. fresh fruit and vegetable availability supplied by imports grew from 50% to 59% for fresh fruit and from 20% to 35% for fresh vegetables (excluding potatoes, sweet potatoes and mushrooms).
The import share increased by more than 20 percentage points during this period for 10 crops: asparagus, avocados, bell peppers, blueberries, broccoli, cauliflower, cucumbers, raspberries, snap beans and tomatoes.
A year-to-year decline in blueberry and orange imports contributed to a decline in imports’ share of fresh fruit availability from 2022 to 2023. The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, implemented on July 1, 2020, continues NAFTA’s market access provisions for fruit and vegetables.
In 2023, Mexico and Canada supplied 51% and 2%, respectively, of U.S. fresh fruit imports, and 69% and 20%, respectively, of U.S. fresh vegetable imports in terms of value. — USDA Economic Research Service
