Publication Number: 3960

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

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

Date Published: November 2007

Report Description/Introductory Text: This report contains statistical information gathered by the Commission on the U.S. pepper industry in the course of its monitoring. This information includes (1) consumption and trade data (including U.S. imports and U.S. exports) and (2) other industry data (including U.S. production quantity, value, unit value, and harvested area; U.S. cost-of-production estimates; shipments; quantities available at major shipping points; and average U.S. shipping-point prices). The information presented in this report on the U.S. pepper industry was obtained from a number of sources, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Department of Commerce, and various State agencies. This report principally includes 2002–06 data and partial-year data for 2006 and 2007.

Consumption of fresh-market peppers rose steadily during the 2002–06 period, with domestic production and imports both rising and imports taking an increasing share of consumption. Imports from Mexico and Canada have risen in recent years in part as a result of the staged reduction and elimination through 2005 of the duties on fresh peppers under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Adding to the growth of trade in fresh-market peppers among the three NAFTA member countries has been the increase in greenhouse-growing facilities in each country, allowing for the production and shipments of fresh peppers during those seasons when outdoor production is usually reduced or non-existent because of weather. The bulk of the imports from Mexico are still field-grown peppers and enter principally through Nogales, Arizona. By contrast, the bulk of the imports from Canada are greenhouse-grown peppers grown in Ontario and British Columbia, and enter mainly through U.S. Customs Districts nearest to those Canadian production areas. U.S. exports remained small relative to production and consumption, and fell in volume as production in Canada, traditionally the largest market for U.S. exports, accounted for a greater share of its domestic market consumption.

Topics Covered: Fresh-market peppers, peppers, processed peppers, peppers for processing, pepper shipments, pepper prices, imports of peppers, exports of peppers, consumption of peppers, Customs Districts of entry

Countries: United States, Canada, Mexico, Israel, Dominican Republic, Spain, Belgium, Turkey

HTS Numbers: 0709

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