When discussing the impact that the North American Free Trade Agreement has had on U.S. agriculture, the general summary has been, “the agreement has been wonderful for U.S. agriculture, with a few exceptions.” The two sectors that are often referred to here are vegetables and fruits. A review of the impact of NAFTA on vegetable trade was provided in a recent Market Intel article, NAFTA: Veggie Tales. Now, we turn to fruits and nuts.
Like many other commodities discussed in this series, in terms of trade of fresh and frozen fruits, NAFTA partners are each other’s primary trading partners, though trade isn’t nearly as concentrated as it is in vegetable trade.
In 1993, the year before the agreement went into effect, Mexico supplied 18 percent of U.S. fruit and nut imports and Canada supplied 2 percent. Throughout the implementation of NAFTA, Mexico’s share of U.S. fruit and nut imports have grown significantly, while Canada has remained relatively stable. In 2016, Mexico supplied 39 percent of all U.S. fruit imports and Canada supplied 2 percent.
To read the rest of the story, please go to: American Farm Bureau Federation
