United States Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service Circular Series FHORT 05-02 May 2002

World Horticultural Trade and U.S. Export Opportunities

Fierce competition between leading world suppliers of apple juice (AJ) has put downward pressure on the average price of U.S. AJ imports.  The decreasing trend in AJ prices began about 5 years ago, when world supplies increased and demand remained flat.  AJ from Argentina was the first to react to the changing market conditions.  However, not long after, China strongly stepped up exports of low-priced AJ to the United States and to other major import markets, such as the European Union (EU).  Germany, in the EU, and the United States are the world’s largest importers of AJ.  Both countries import large quantities of the low-acid juice to blend with other levels of acid juice for use in the food and beverage industries.  China, a major world supplier of low-acid AJ juice, has boosted its AJ shipments to the world with a lower-priced product.  In the United States, China has become a significant supplier of AJ, concentrate non-frozen.  Large supplies of the low-priced Chinese product put significant downward pressure on the average price of U.S.-made AJ concentrate and on the average price U.S. growers received for juice apples.  Today, AJ imports from certain sources in China face antidumping duties in the United States.  However, the punitive duties have not diminished the volume of product entering the United States from China.

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Last modified: Wednesday, July 21, 2004