In the United States, there has been a notable decrease in the production of fresh fruits and vegetables, with reductions of 10% and 23.1% respectively since the year 2000. Concurrently, the country has seen a significant increase in the importation of these products. By 2022, imports accounted for a larger portion of the fresh fruit supply at 54.8%, up from 36.6% in 2000, and 29.3% of the vegetable supply, a substantial rise from 9.5% in 2000. This shift has led to an import value of $18.23 billion for fresh fruits and vegetables in 2022, contributing to a total available volume of 94.65 billion pounds, equating to 283.63 pounds per capita.
Transitioning from a net exporter in 1980 to a net importer by 1998, the United States has experienced a growing trade deficit in fresh produce, excluding bananas. The deficit reached 24.4 billion pounds in 2022, continuing a trend of deficits exceeding 10 billion pounds annually since 2013. Specifically, the trade deficit for fresh fruits, excluding bananas, stood at 10.4 billion pounds, while the deficit for fresh vegetables was 13.9 billion pounds more than exports in the same year.
Source: southernagtoday.org