From January to July 2024, Peruvian citrus exports totaled $212 million, reflecting an increase of 42.5 percent compared to the $149 million recorded in the same period in 2023, according to Agraria, citing the Foreign Trade Society of Peru (Comex Peru).
In the first seven months of 2022, these shipments reached $179 million; in 2021 they were $180 million; in 2020 they were $187 million; in 2019 they were $134 million; in 2018 they were $121 million; and in 2017 they were $106 million.
The international trade association explained that the dynamism recorded between January and July of this year was driven by the increase in the exported volume, which reached 175,916 tons, showing a growth of 23.9 percent compared to the same period of the previous year. Between January and July 2022, it amounted to 169,267 tons.
In the first seven months of this year, mandarins were the main citrus exported by Peru, representing 72.1 percent of the total. These amounted to $153 million, which showed a growth of 49.9 percent compared to the same period in 2023.
These were followed by Tahiti limes, with $27.6 million (+27.4 percent), clementines ($15.2 million, +11 percent), tangelos ($6.8 million, +30.1 percent) and lemons ($4 million, +39.3 percent).
The U.S. was the main destination for citrus exports from Peru. The North American giant accounted for 56.5 percent of shipments, totaling $120 million between January and July 2024, reporting an increase of 70.9 percent compared to the same months of the previous year. In addition, there was a 56.8 percent increase in the exported volume.
In the first seven months of 2024, exports to Mexico and Spain also registered significant growth. Shipments to Mexico totaled $14.9 million, reflecting a year-on-year increase of +242 percent; while exports to Spain amounted to $4.5 million (+232 percent).
