United States Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service Circular Series FHORT 09-01 September 2001

World Horticultural Trade and U.S. Export Opportunities

U.S. exports of horticultural products to Asia are rebounding from the financial woes that started in 1998. From June 2000 to May 2001, total U.S. horticultural exports to Asia totaled $3.5 billion, up 9 percent from the same period the preceding years. The Asian region accounts for more than a third of total U.S. horticultural exports. Japan, with about a 50 percent share, is the largest market in Asia, followed by Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, and China. U.S. horticultural exports to Japan in 2000/01 were valued at $1.7 billion. Exports to Hong Kong, the second largest market, exceeded $428 million in 2000/01, accounting for 12 percent of U.S. horticultural sales to the region. Exports to Taiwan accounted for 10 percent of the Asian market in 2000/01, with an export value of more than $360 million. South Korea accounted for 8 percent of the market, totaling approximately $290 million. China has emerged as a new promising market for U.S. horticultural exports. In 2000/01, U.S. horticultural exports to China exceeded $143 million, posting a record and now accounting for 4 percent of sales in the region. The Agreement on Agriculture signed in April 1999 and the Bilateral WTO Market Access Agreement of November 1999 are expected to continue to boost U.S. horticultural product exports to China. Citrus products and fresh deciduous fruits are among the leading U.S. horticultural exports to the Asian region. Other promising horticultural products include frozen vegetables, tree nuts, and fresh vegetables.

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Last modified: Wednesday, July 21, 2004