Berry imports into the United States dropped remarkably to 25K tons in December 2023, with a decrease of -64.9% against November 2023 figures. Over the period under review, imports recorded a drastic downturn. The most prominent rate of growth was recorded in October 2023 when imports increased by 190% month-to-month.

In value terms, berry imports reduced dramatically to $134M (IndexBox estimates) in December 2023. Overall, imports faced a drastic downturn. The most prominent rate of growth was recorded in October 2023 when imports increased by 134% m-o-m.

Imports by Country

In December 2023, Mexico (24K tons) was the main supplier of berry to the United States, accounting for a 98% share of total imports. It was followed by Canada (413 tons), with a 1.7% share of total imports.

From December 2022 to December 2023, the average monthly rate of growth in terms of volume from Mexico amounted to -11.1%.

In value terms, Mexico ($130M) constituted the largest supplier of berry to the United States, comprising 97% of total imports. The second position in the ranking was taken by Canada ($2.6M), with a 1.9% share of total imports.

From December 2022 to December 2023, the average monthly growth rate of value from Mexico stood at -9.0%.

Imports by Type

In December 2023, strawberries (24K tons) was the main type of berry supplied to the United States, with a 99% share of total imports. It was followed by currants and gooseberries (132 tons), with a 0.5% share of total imports.

From December 2022 to December 2023, the average monthly rate of growth in terms of the volume of import of strawberries stood at -2.7%.

In value terms, strawberries ($133M) constituted the largest type of berry supplied to the United States, comprising 99% of total imports. The second position in the ranking was taken by currants and gooseberries ($807K), with a 0.6% share of total imports.

Import Prices by Country

In December 2023, the berry price stood at $5,460 per ton (CIF, US), falling by -33.2% against the previous month. Over the period under review, import price indicated a slight increase from December 2022 to December 2023: its price increased at an average monthly rate of +1.9% over the last twelve months. The trend pattern, however, indicated some noticeable fluctuations being recorded throughout the analyzed period. Based on December 2023 figures, berry import price increased by +23.1% against June 2023 indices. The most prominent rate of growth was recorded in November 2023 when the average import price increased by 59% m-o-m. As a result, import price reached the peak level of $8,175 per ton, and then dropped markedly in the following month.

Average prices varied noticeably amongst the major supplying countries. In December 2023, the country with the highest price was Canada ($6,294 per ton), while the price for Mexico totaled $5,437 per ton.

From December 2022 to December 2023, the most notable rate of growth in terms of prices was attained by Chile (+6.2%), while the prices for the other major suppliers experienced more modest paces of growth.

Source: IndexBox Market Intelligence Platform