The United States imports about USD$493 million in fresh mango each year. Its main supplier currently is Mexico.
Cundinamarca is the Colombian department with the highest production, followed by Antioquia and Norte de Santander.
Washington, DC., November 22, 2021 – Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) published in the Federal Register the final decision authorizing the export of fresh Colombian mango to the U.S. market. Mango imports will be subject to hot water treatment or irradiation.
As part of Colombian President Iván Duque's ambitious health diplomacy strategy, the fresh mango joins the 100 Colombian agricultural products that have access to the U.S. market, which include paprika, hass avocado, cape gooseberries, blueberries, pineapples, tangerines, oranges and Tahiti limes.
Mango is one of the preferred fruits for American consumers; in the last 10 years consumption grew 63% from 2.24 to 3.65 pounds per capita. In 2020, the United States imported approximately 550,000 tons of mango valued at 493 million dollars. The main suppliers were Mexico, with a share of 57%, followed by Peru (15%), Ecuador (10%), Brazil (10%), Haiti (3%) and Guatemala (2%). These countries export under conditions equivalent to those authorized for Colombia.
Colombian Ambassador to the United States Juan Carlos Pinzón welcomed the news and stressed that it is a new opportunity to continue taking advantage of the Trade Agreement with the United States, which will have been in force for 10 years in 2022. “This is the result of the rigorous and articulated work of health diplomacy led by President Duque himself and the determined support of the Ministries of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Foreign Ministry, the ICA, ProColombia and the Embassy, with which we set a goal to continue adding products that embody real opportunities for our entrepreneurs in the field in this market.”
Mango is a product with great export potential. Colombia offers a constant production throughout the year. According to figures from Ministerio de Agricultura, there are approximately 35,000 hectares (85,000 acres) of mango in Colombia distributed in 22 departments. According to Fedemango, the average mango yield per hectare is 10 tons, with an estimated national production of 350,000 tons. Colombia currently exports at least USD $2 million in mango to more than 10 countries around the world, including some European countries, Canada and now, the United States.
The Commercial Office of Colombia in the United States, together with ProColombia, will continue to work on access to other agricultural products such as passion flowers (Gulupa, Granadilla and Maracuyá), beef and poultry.
