Imports rule

For some years now, fruit and vegetable imports have been accelerating in volume and value, building momentum as a car without brakes hurtles down a mountain road.
The USDA Economic Research Service on Sept. 10 issued a report on fruit and vegetable imports that reinforces that perception, though without the allusion to a car careening out of control. The report can be found at this link.

From the introduction:
Between 1990-92 and 2004-06, annual U.S. imports of fresh fruit and vegetables surged from $2.7 billion to $7.9 billion (nominal dollars throughout the report), with the share of total U.S.
imports for agriculture rising from 11.5 percent to 13.3 percent. U.S. exports of fresh produce also rose but less rapidly. As a result, the United States has increasingly become a net importer of fresh produce (fig. 1). This report examines the evolving structure of U.S. fresh produce trade to provide insights into changes in this rapidly growing area of U.S. agricultural trade in 1990-2006.

Consider these stats from the report:

About fruit:
Meanwhile, import share of overall U.S. fresh fruit consumption greatly expanded. Between 1983-85 and 2003-05, the import share of U.S. fruit consumption increased from 2.3 percent to 15.5 percent for citrus and from 41.2 percent to 53 percent for noncitrus fruit (including bananas). Between 1993-95 and 2003-05, the import share of fruit consumption for the top three fresh fruits consumed by the average American, excluding bananas, also increased: apples (from 6 percent to 7.1 percent), oranges (from 1 percent to 4.2 percent), and grapes (from 38.5 percent to 54.8 percent).

About vegetables:

Although most fresh vegetables consumed by Americans are still domestically produced, imports substantially increased in share of consumption over the last two decades—from 9.3 percent in 1983-85 to 16.3 percent in 2003- 05. Even for vegetables with declining per capita consumption, such as potatoes and head lettuce, the import share of consumption increased over the past two decades—from 3.2 percent to 6.1 percent for potatoes and from 0.5 percent to 1.7 percent for head lettuce. In addition, although per capita consumption of carrots, cabbage, celery, and cauliflower declined after the 1990s, import shares increased. Thus, since the 1990s, the import share of U.S. fresh vegetable consumption has increased almost across the board. In particular, import share has risen for tender warm-season vegetables that enter the United States during the winter and early spring when domestic supplies are limited. Major vegetables in this category include tomatoes (import share rising from 24.2 percent in 1993-95 to 35.2 percent in 2003- 05), peppers (from 17.1 percent to 29.5 percent), and cucumbers (from 38.1 percent to 49.3 percent).

TK: This is a well done report, if slightly bloodless (as all government reports tend to be). The reports cites several factors why imports have increased in importance:
Desire for year round supply
Greater trade within NAFTA
Technological advancements in packaging and the supply chain in general

The growing share of imports should punctuate the need for consumer labeling of country of origin on fresh produce. While consumers may not make buying decisions based on labeling, they should have access to the information.