Pacific Nut Producer Magazine

Tag: FAS

  • Opportunities for CA Tree Nuts & Dairy in Upcoming Trade Mission to Mexico

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) is now accepting applications for its upcoming agribusiness trade mission to Mexico City, Mexico, scheduled for November 3–6. U.S. exporters interested in exploring trade opportunities in Mexico’s dynamic agricultural market must apply by Thursday, July 31.

    “Strengthening export opportunities for American farmers, ranchers, and agribusinesses is a top priority of USDA,” said Deputy Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Michelle Bekkering. “This trade mission will connect U.S. producers with key buyers in Mexico, expanding economic opportunities, supporting rural prosperity, and keeping American agricultural products globally competitive.”

    Mexico was the largest export market for U.S. agricultural products in 2024, with sales totaling more than $30 billion, supporting approximately 190,000 U.S. jobs. Agricultural trade between the United States and Mexico under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) reached nearly $79 billion in 2024 and has shown consistent growth over the last decade.

    To ensure the protection of U.S. livestock herds, in June, Secretary Rollins launched a Bold Plan to combat New World Screwworm (PDF, 434 KB) by protecting our border at all costs, increasing eradication efforts in Mexico, and increasing readiness. USDA also announced the groundbreaking of a sterile fly dispersal facility in South Texas. This facility will provide a critical contingency capability to disperse sterile flies should a NWS detection be made in the southern United States.

    Growing U.S. exports to Mexico are supported by factors such as rising disposable income among Mexico’s upper middle class, familiarity with U.S. products and food trends, and strong demand for high-quality agricultural goods.

    Consumer-oriented products represent the largest share of U.S. agricultural exports to Mexico and have increased by more than 75 percent between 2020 and 2024. USDA anticipates strong export opportunities across several product sectors, including:

    •Beef, poultry, and related products

    •Dairy products

    •Seafood

    •Tree nuts

    •Pet food

    •Baking and food processing ingredients

    Additional opportunities exist for U.S. products such as animal feed, rice, pulses, seed potatoes, and livestock genetics.

    During the trade mission, U.S. agribusiness representatives will connect directly with buyers from Mexico City and surrounding regions through business-to-business meetings, market briefings, site visits, and networking events led by FAS staff and regional experts.

    For more information or to apply, see the Mexico Agribusiness Trade Mission webpage. The application deadline is Thursday, July 31, 2025.

    The Mexico trade mission is part of USDA’s broader 2025 export promotion strategy. Recent trade missions to Thailand, Guatemala, Hong Kong, and Peru have delivered measurable success for U.S. exporters. Applications are now closed for the trade mission to Taiwan. To learn more about FAS agribusiness trade missions, visit https://www.fas.usda.gov/topics/trade-missions.

  • India Will Eliminate Twenty Percent Retaliatory Tariff on US Walnuts

    United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai’s announcement today that India agreed to remove retaliatory tariffs on walnuts, as well as additional US products, is welcome news.  Trade representatives from the United States and India have been working together on a package of trade deliverables announced today during this week’s visit of India’s Prime Minister Modi for meetings with President Biden and a joint session of Congress.

    “The California walnut industry has had a long-standing partnership with the India marketplace which is an integral part of the industry’s overall long term long-term strategic growth and market development plan.” said Pam Graviet, Senior Director of Global Programs for the California Walnut Commission.  “Indian consumers and trade partners continue to recognize the premium quality of California walnuts and the nutritional value and great taste they bring to the Indian diet. Elimination of India’s retaliatory tariffs will benefit Indian consumers and businesses, as well as the California walnut industry,” she added.

    The California walnut industry brought this ongoing issue to the attention of the Biden Administration early in the presidency and appreciate their tenacity and commitment which led to this agreement. We commend USTR Ambassador Katherine Tai and Ambassador Doug McKalip on negotiating this successful outcome for California’s walnut producers and processors. Ambassador McKalip recently visited California and had an occasion to tour walnut and almond orchards and learn firsthand the severe financial impact the 20% retaliatory tariff inflicted on the California walnut industry.

    We also appreciate USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack, Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) Administrator Daniel Whitley and the FAS personnel who helped the industry through this challenging period.  The Market Access Program (MAP) continues to be a crucial element in enabling us to maintain our relationships in India and seek new market opportunities. We are grateful for efforts by federal, state, local elected officials, regulators, and their staff for diligently keeping this topic on the forefront of trade discussions.

    Robert Verloop, the Chief Executive Officer for the California Walnut Commission said, “the California walnut growers have been severely impacted by a host of unprecedented events over the last few years; including the various trade tariffs, COVID pandemic-induced supply chain and transportation disruptions, global economic downturn, inflationary pressures, high dollar values, the complications brought on by the war in Ukraine and the persistent drought and heat wave that severely impacted our 2023 crop.”

    “Tree nut growers, most of whom are multi-generational family farms, make a long-term investment in their crops.  Walnut orchards can be highly productive for over 30 years; accordingly, the growers make decisions to produce the revered California walnuts with the expectations that we have fair and equitable access to global markets which represent more than 65% of our sales. The removal of this tariff is welcomed by our industry and provides a pathway to strengthening our trade relations with this important market and trading partner” added Verloop.

    Ms. Graviet stated, “California walnuts are perfectly aligned to meet the global demands for more healthy, nutritious, and great tasting plant-based foods.  The removal of the retaliatory tariff in India will enable our growers to help meet these demands in India.  We thank our Indian trade partners and retailers for their ongoing support and commitment to California walnuts and look forward to building greater distribution and consumption of our walnuts.”

  • EU Demand for US Tree Nuts Expected to Remain Strong

    The United States continues to be the largest supplier of tree nuts to Europe. While EU investment and production of tree nuts continue to increase, production is still far from meeting domestic demand. In 2020, EU-27 tree nuts imports from the United States reached $2.8 billion USD. The COVID-19 health crisis and the logistical issues and delays experienced globally moderately decreased U.S. exports of tree nuts to the EU, but exports began recovering in the first half of 2021. The demand for tree nuts is expected to remain strong, as consumers continue to demand healthy snacks and the hospitality, HRI, and impulse purchase channels are steadily recovering. 

    Executive Summary

    The EU Market: A Key Trading Partner for US Tree Nuts

    In 2020, the European Union (EU)-27 imported $7.2 billion in tree nuts from the world. The United States, with $2.8 billion, is the largest EU-27 tree nuts supplier, accounting for 39 percent of total imports. Turkey is the second largest supplier with 22 percent of imports, followed by Vietnam, Chile, and Iran.

    U.S. almonds (both in-shell and shelled) totaled $1.5 billion , followed by pistachios with $699 million and walnuts with almost $393 million. Within the EU, the most significant importers of U.S. tree nuts (in order of importance) are Germany, Spain, and The Netherlands.
    These numbers prove the importance of the United States as an agricultural trading partner to the EU.

    The Food Processing and the Snack Industry Remain the Most Significant Buyers

    The growing popularity of healthier snacking and eating habits among European consumers continues to encourage consumption of nuts, both tree nuts and ground nuts. Tree nuts are covered in the media and food blogs for their health benefits. Many consumers perceive them as beneficial and increasingly include them in their diets. The desire for general health and wellbeing, the increasing interest in plant-based diets (vegan and vegetarian) – along with the publication of scientific studies highlighting the benefits of nut consumption – continue fueling demand for these products.

    In addition, the European food processing and snack industries are the largest users of tree nuts, both as an ingredient (for traditional sweets and pastries) and for re-processing and re-export to third countries. Almonds are mainly used as an ingredient for the manufacturing of marzipan, nougat, turron (a Spanish traditional Christmas confection), and many other pastries and sweets. European food manufacturers also use walnuts and pistachio nuts as an ingredient for manufacturing ice cream and confectionary products.

    The snacking industry is channeling its efforts to offer consumers new products and new ways to consume nuts. Thus, due to the mature nature of the European market, EU manufacturers are focusing their strategies on launching new value-added innovative products rather than focusing on volume sales. They continue to emphasize the health benefits of tree nuts, both through advertising campaigns and in packaging.

    During the COVID-19 restrictions in 2020, retail was the big winner, particularly in the first half of 2020, with the closure of the HRI channel in most countries. With nuts becoming an increasingly important part of European consumers’ diet, the challenge for retailers will be to find the right balance between price, quality and formats that best suit consumer demand. In addition, consumers are paying more attention to sustainability and responsible consumption. Eco-friendly production, packaging, and distribution is becoming more popular amongst European consumers, especially in northern countries.

    Expanding Business in the EU Market

    The COVID-19 impact on trade shows has been significant since trade shows came to a halt with the pandemic. With the gradual removal of restrictions, the trade show industry is slowly but surely reopening. Trade shows are an excellent opportunity to get to know the market and to meet potential importers. New-to-market exporters interested in getting a better understanding of EU food regulations and market opportunities are encouraged to reference the Food and Agricultural Import Regulations and Standards (FAIRS) reports and Exporter Guides produced by various EU FAS Offices.

    U.S. Cooperators Active in the EU Market

    Trade associations like the Almond Board of California, American Pistachio Growers and the California Walnut Commission continue to develop strategies for the EU market. These trade associations, in cooperation with FAS offices, work actively to further develop the market for U.S. tree nuts. Read the full report from the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, including specifics on almonds, walnuts and pistachios HERE.