In 2017, American demand amounted to a total of $14.6 billion in imported fruits. The bottom line is that fresh fruit is a staple, and not all fruits grow best in the United States alone. Fruit imports are an important part of the American economy and American diet, and they all require certain shipping guidelines to ensure they can travel the globe before reaching tables in a still-fresh state. The demand for imported fruits to the United States has grown year after year, and figures for 2017 were a whopping 44.1% higher than those in 2013, and these numbers are expected to keep growing.
In order to retain freshness, fruits must be packaged and shipped carefully and mindfully. Insulated container liners, pallet covers, and container blankets help to keep fruit shipments temperature controlled and regulated, so heat or unstable temperatures experienced in the cargo hold during long journeys don’t threaten fruits with spoilage. Without this insulation, Americans wouldn’t have the plethora of favorites they do at their disposal in local supermarkets. Not just a benefit to fruit lovers, insulated shipping products also help those exporting fruits and the companies buying them to rest assured product, and profit, will not be lost.
So, just what kind of impact does insulated shipping have on American favorites? Without it, we wouldn’t be able to enjoy the garden variety of fruits that we do. The top 10 favorite fruit exports in the United States are:
1. Avocados – 18.6% of America’s imported fruits are avocados, equaling a $2.7 billion industry.
2. Bananas – Coming in second are bananas, with 17.3% of all of America’s imported fruits and a $2.5 billion industry.
3. Grapes – Fresh grapes account for 11.7% of all imported fruits and amount to a $1.7 billion industry.
4. Wild berries – Wild berries aren’t a year-round fruit in the United States, and raspberry, blackberry, mulberry, and loganberries make up 6.8% of all fresh fruit imports.
5. Pineapples – Pineapples makeup 5.1% of all fruit imports, and create a $749.7 million industry.
6. Guavas and mangoes – Tropical fruits like guavas and mangoes make up 4.5% of all fresh fruit imports.
7. Strawberries – Like wild berries, strawberries go out of season quite quickly in the United States. Strawberry imports contribute 4.4% to all fresh fruit imports.
8. Lemons and limes – Lemon and lime imports amount to 3.8% of total fresh fruit imports, contributing $550.5 million to the industry.
9. Melons – 3% of all global fresh fruit imports are melons (not including watermelons) equaling $439.1 million.
10. Watermelons – Watermelons makeup 2.4% of all fresh fruit imports and have a value of $349 million alone.
