World
Horticultural
Trade and U.S. Export
Opportunities
U.S. Import Demand for Apple Juice
Continues Strong
U.S. apple juice (AJ) imports in 1999/2000 are estimated
at a record 225,000 metric tons (70/71 degrees brix
equivalent), up 3 percent from last season. AJ imports
into the United States totaled 128,119 tons for the
period July 1999 through January 2000, up 9 percent from
the same period last season.
The July 1999/January 2000 increase mainly reflects
expanded shipments from Argentina and Chile, which are up
65 percent and 95 percent, respectively, from the same
period last season. Meanwhile, AJ imports from China
decreased 72 percent during the same period, while
average import prices for the Chinese product increased
31 percent.
On April 6, 2000, the U.S. Department of Commerce
announced final antidumping duties on AJ imports from
China. Dumping margins were established at between 0
percent and 52 percent, down slightly from the November
1999 preliminary calculation of 55 percent. In a related
development, the International Trade Commission is
expected to issue its final injury ruling on May 22,
2000. In association, there are indications that import
prices for AJ are firming up. For the period July 1999 to
January 2000, average AJ import prices for all countries
were up almost 30 percent from the same period last
season. The concentrated non-frozen category accounts for
more than 95 percent of total U.S. AJ imports.
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