In 2022 Japan was the world's sixth largest importer of fresh fruit - relying on imports for around one-third of total domestic supply. The United States was the fifth largest supplier of fresh fruits to Japan with five percent of the market.
The United States was the leading supplier of lemons and cherries and the second largest supplier of oranges, grapefruit, and kiwi fruit. Japan was the fourth largest export destination for U.S. fresh fruit. Declining domestic production has led Japan to become increasingly dependent on imported fruit and this trend is expected to continue.
Despite declining volumes, the overall production value of fresh fruit in Japan has been increasing. The total value of fresh fruit production in 2021 reached 1.3 trillion yen ($9.4 billion*), up 11 percent from 2016. This this primarily due to farmers shifting to higher quality varieties targeting the premium market. For example, although overall grape production contracted between 2016 and 2021, production of the premium Shine Muscat variety more than doubled from 2,451 acres to 5,636 acres in response to popular consumer demand.
Click here to read the full report.
Sourc: fas.usda.gov