Fresh vegetable trade volume was up in 2021, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service. The United States remained a net importer of fresh-market vegetables in volume and value terms.
The value of imports increased 5% to $10.4 billion, while the value of exports increased 3% to $2.4 billion. Import value grew 81% over the past decade, while fresh exports’ value rose 24%.
The top two foreign suppliers of fresh-market vegetables to the U.S. market are Mexico and Canada. Mexico accounted for 79% of fresh vegetable import volume. Canada was responsible for 11%, followed by Peru (3%), Guatemala (1%) and China (1%).
The volume of fresh vegetable imports increased by 8% in 2021. This was reflected in increases in crops like greenhouse tomatoes (9%), onions (19%), sweet corn (21%) and leaf/romain lettuce (19%). Import volume of greenhouse tomatoes accounted for 58% of all fresh tomato imports in 2021, a jump from 49% a decade earlier.
The U.S. continues to send most of its fresh-market vegetable exports to Canada, taking 78% of the total value followed by Mexico (7%). Volume transported to Canada increased by 7% and the Netherlands by 12% but decreased for Mexico by 16%.
Lettuce was the leading fresh market export by value in 2021, accounting for 22% of total value with leaf/romaine representing the major share of volume.
