Despite low, stable pricing for pineapple juice concentrate, U.S. imports remain weak overall, with January-March 2019 imports down 9 percent from Q1 2018. Q1 imports from our top three origins (Thailand, the Philippines, and Costa Rica) accounted for over 80 percent of total Q1 2019 PJC volume, about the same share as a year ago. The Philippines and Costa Rica have shipped more concentrate to the U.S. so far this year than last year to date, but top-supplier Thailand has struggled to regain some of the market share it lost when PJC prices soared back in 2015.
Q1 imports of NFC pineapple juice, at 8.0 million liters, were about the same YOY. Costa Rica remained the top supplier of NFC juice (almost half of NFC imports), although Jan-Mar 2019 volume was down 9 percent from a year ago.
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