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By Mark Wocial, Certified Global Business Professional, Wocial & Associates LLC
The U.S. Census Bureau International Trade Statistics make a distinction between not-certified organic and certified organic fresh or chilled carrots for export purposes. Total U.S. exports of fresh or chilled carrots remained unchanged in the past two years at 102,000 metric tons (MT), valued at $118 million. Exports included approximately 25,000 MT certified organic carrots, valued at $34 million, which represented 29 percent of fresh carrot exports by value and 25 percent by volume.
Canada is the largest export market for fresh carrots. Last year, exports of not-certified organic carrots to Canada amounted to almost 70,000 MT, valued at $76 million. While exports of not-certified organic carrots declined in the past two years, exports of certified organic carrots remained unchanged. Last year, shipments of certified organic carrots to Canada reached over 20,000 MT, valued at $27 million.
Mexico is the second largest export market for fresh carrots. In 2020, shipments of not-certified organic carrots amounted to 4,500 MT. Shipments of certified organic carrots increased significantly compared to the previous year and reached 4,300 MT.
Last year, other countries among the top 10 of U.S. export destinations for not-certified organic fresh carrots included St. Lucia, Malaysia, Singapore, the Bahamas, Barbados, Israel, Panama and the United Arab Emirates. Brazil was the third largest export market for certified organic fresh carrots, after Canada and Mexico.
The U.S. Census Bureau International Trade Statistics do not make a distinction between not-certified organic and certified organic carrots for import purposes. Imports of fresh carrots fell from 228,000 MT in 2019 to 212,000 MT in 2020, valued at $103 million.
Canada and Mexico are the largest suppliers of fresh carrots to the U.S. Imports from Canada increased from 96,000 MT in 2019 to over 103,000 MT in 2020, valued at $49 million. Imports from Mexico decreased from over 108,000 MT in 2019 to 91,000 MT in 2020, valued at $41 million.
Imports from several other countries also declined. Last year, the U.S. imported 13,000 MT from Israel, 2,900 MT from Guatemala and 1,400 MT from Costa Rica.
Author’s note: This information is based on the author’s analysis of the international trade data collected by the U.S. Census Bureau Foreign Trade Division.
