Top five apple export markets targeted by tariffs, USApple concerned – Capital Press

Mexico, Canada, Taiwan, Vietnam and India combined to purchase $756 million worth of U.S. apples in 2024.

After President Donald Trump’s announcement April 2, the top five export markets for U.S. apples have been targeted with tariffs. The trade policy decisions have USApple concerned.

“As we painfully experienced with India in the past, U.S. tariffs can trigger retaliatory measures that restrict access to key export markets and harm apple growers across the country,” said Jim Bair, president and CEO of USApple, in a statement April 3.

“It’s critical for the health of the entire U.S. apple industry to maintain strong, stable trade relationships with all of our current and potential export partners,” he added.

Bair said his trade organization, which represents all segments of the apple industry, supports holding trade partners accountable.

“Countries that would be ideal markets for U.S. apples shut us out due to non-tariff trade barriers. That’s why USApple strongly supported the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement which is working well, and those countries remain our largest export destinations,” Bair said.

March 25 was USApple’s Capitol Hill Day and 90 growers, packers and shippers traveled to Washington, D.C. In more than 100 meetings, they let lawmakers know that trade matters for the future of the U.S. apple industry, Bair said.

About one in four fresh market apples produced in the U.S. is exported, according to the USDA.

Imports represent a small share of the domestic market, accounting for 2% of availability in 2023-24.

Exports drop

The U.S. apple production forecast for 2024-25 was slightly down from the previous year, but still above average. Holdings also dipped but were relatively large.

From August through January, U.S. fresh apple exports fell 1% in value and 4% in volume, according to the USDA Economic Research Service’s new Fruit and Tree Nuts Outlook.

Decreases in fresh apple exports to top destinations such as Mexico, Canada, Taiwan and India more than offset a 14% year-over-year increase to Vietnam.

Through January, organic apples represented about one-fifth of fresh export volume or 181.5 million pounds, with 60% of organic apple volume destined for Mexico.

Grower prices recovering

Fresh apple grower prices are recovering after hitting a four-year low in April 2024, according to the new USDA report.

In January, the fresh apple price for growers was 75 cents per pound, up 20 cents from the same month in 2024, but still 19% lower than in 2023.

In March 2025, free on board prices for popular apple varieties such as Gala, Granny Smith and Red Delicious were higher than at the same point the previous year, but remained below average prices in 2023.

Higher than average storage volumes tanked the price of Honeycrisp apples in late 2023, but prices have recovered since September, reflecting a year-over-year decrease in production volume.