China: Specialty Crop Market Situation and Trends from 2017 to 2023

Major specialty crops exported from the United States to the People’s Republic of China in 2023 include tree nuts ($1.2 billion), fresh fruit ($86 million), processed fruit ($70 million) and processed vegetables ($35 million). In most of the Specialty Crop product categories, aside from tree nuts, import values from the United States have fallen over the last several years. Improved domestic production, retaliatory tariffs, and free trade agreements with major counter-seasonal competitors in the Southern Hemisphere largely explain declining U.S. exports across the specialty crop sector. Numerous U.S. specialty crops are still subject to retaliatory Section 232 tariffs on top of most-favored-nation (MFN) tariffs. U.S. tree nuts and fresh fruit are still highly valued in China, but targeted marketing campaigns are necessary to preserve U.S. market share.