摘要：International trade has become increasingly critical to the success of the U.S. horticulture sector1. In 1998, U.S. horticultural exports are forecast to reach a record $10.8 billion, up 7 percent fromthe previous year and nearly double the level of 1990 (figure 1). The share of U.S. horticulturalproduction that is exported has grown from 20 percent in 1990 to 27 percent in 1997, and isforecast to reach 28 percent in 1998. Even with the large growth in exports over the last 8 years,the United States remains a net importer of horticultural products, with imports rising from $8.2billion in 1990 to a forecast of $12.8 billion in 1998. When considering the trade balance in theU.S. fruit and vegetable sector, there has been years, as recently as 1995, of trade surplus. Exports expand markets for domestically produced products and imports generally fill seasonalvoids in domestic production. More than 80 percent of the value of U.S. horticultural importsare attributed to purchases of fresh and processed fruit and vegetables, including nuts and wine,and nearly one-sixth of all fruit and vegetable consumption in the United States come fromimports.
