Publication Number: 3959

Report Title: Monitoring of U.S. Imports of Tomatoes

Investigation Number: 332-350

Author's name(s): Timothy P. McCarty, Brendan Lynch

Date Published: November 2007

Report Description/Introductory Text: Imports of fresh-market tomatoes from Mexico and Canada, historically the two major suppliers to the U.S. market, have continued to rise relative to U.S. production in recent years. Imports of greenhouse-grown tomatoes and grape tomatoes from Mexico and Canada have risen, but imports of cherry and other field-grown tomatoes have declined. U.S. imports accounted for 39 percent of consumption volume in 2006 and are trending upward; U.S. exports are trending downward and remain small relative to production and consumption. Most imports from Mexico continue to enter the United States principally through Nogales, Arizona; most imports from Canada enter principally through border crossings in Ontario and British Columbia. U.S. harvested area of fresh-market tomatoes is trending downward, but the principal producing states remain the same. Market prices continue to vary among suppliers and between different product types and maturity.

Production of processing tomatoes remained steady from 2005 to 2006. Imports of processed tomato products, small relative to production, rose dramatically with the entry of additional product from China and Chile. U.S. harvested area of processing tomatoes rose from 2005 to 2006 with the principal producing states remaining the same.

Topics Covered: Fresh-market tomatoes, tomatoes, processed tomatoes, tomatoes for processing, greenhouse tomatoes, Roma tomatoes, grape tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, tomato shipments, tomato prices, imports of tomatoes, exports of tomatoes, consumption of tomatoes, Customs Districts of entry

Countries: United States, Canada, Mexico, Netherlands, Japan, Korea (South), Dominican Republic, Israel, Chile, China, Spain

HTS Numbers: 0702, 2002

Click here for full report