U.S. imports of fruits and vegetables rose 6 percent from May 2019 through April of this year, totaling more than $24 billion dollars.
Berries, excluding strawberries, led the charge, with imports up 8 percent and valued at $2.92 billion dollars. Avocados ranked second at $2.79 billion dollar but with a 14 percent year-over-year increase. Imports of bananas or plantains and tomatoes each saw a 1 percent increase hitting above $2.4 billion dollars respectively.
As for exports, apples led in dollar value, with more than $929 million dollars in global shipments but it was only a 2 percent increase over 2019. However, oranges and tangerines saw the largest hike in international sales up 13 percent and hitting more than $650 million dollars.