United States Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service Circular Series FHORT 09-02 September 2002

World Horticultural Trade and U.S. Export Opportunities

Fresh lettuce continues to be one of the bright spots among U.S. horticultural exports.  During the first 6 months of 2002, U.S. exports of lettuce were valued at nearly $130 million, up 22 percent in value from the same period last year.  Most U.S. fresh lettuce exports goes to Canada with shipments to that country valued at $115 million during January-June 2002.  During this same period, U.S. lettuce sales to Mexico, the United States second largest market, were valued at $4 million, practically unchanged from the same period in 2001.  U.S. lettuce shipments to Japan slowed down during the period January-June 2002 to just $3 million.  In Japan, the U.S.-type iceberg lettuce is heavily demanded by the expanding fast food industry.  Since its climate does not allow for efficient production of this type of lettuce, Japan could be a significant market for the U.S. product.  However, some of Japan’s technical barriers to trade are limiting U.S. sales, mainly for fresh vegetables.  The U.S. lettuce industry estimates that shipments to Japan could likely increase by $100 million if some of the U.S.-Japan technical trade issues were resolved.

[Check Out the New U.S. Trade Internet System Website. Go to http://www.fas.usda.gov/ustrade ]

Back to Table of Contents

Last modified: Wednesday, July 21, 2004