Apple juice imports in June were just 27.4 million single-strength-equivalent (SSE) gallons, down almost a third from import volume during June 2018. Cumulative 2018/19 imports were 439.0 million SSE gallons, down 6 percent from Aug-Jun 2017/18.
Since January, imports from European origins have supplied nearly all U.S. demand. In June, apple juice from China was just 3 percent by volume of the month’s total, compared to over 70 percent in a more typical year. Season to date, however, Chinese AJC accounted for about a third of U.S. imports, thanks to a bit of buyer-stock-up last fall before tariffs increased in January.
AJC stocks climbed substantially in 2017 and 2018, a bit more than consumption trends likely warranted. This year, despite lower AJC imports, stocks of non-OJ juice concentrates in cold storage—the majority of which is AJC—were 319.7 million pounds at the end of July, nearly unchanged year over year and about 20 percent higher than the 2015-2017 average for the month.
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