Peru's agricultural exports to the United States are starting to return to 2008 levels before the world economic crisis, according to a U.S. Agriculture Department official quoted by the Peruvian foreign trade group Pymex.

The rebound is due to the trade agreement between the U.S. and Peru, which went into full effect in February 2009, according to Pymex and the USDA. Peru’s exports to the U.S. were 18% higher in the first 10 months of 2010 than in the same period in 2009, Michael Scuse, acting undersecretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural services, wrote on his USDA blog.

Scuse is participating in the U.S. Agribusiness Trade and Investment Mission to Peru and Ecuador in Lima through Feb. 4.

A Peruvian export and tourism group also announced that the nation’s fruit and vegetable exports grew by 28% in 2010 over 2009.

The association, Promperu, said the exports were valued at more than US $700 million. The principal market was the European Union, which took in US $300 million of products. Shipments to the U.S. rose 30%, Asia, 26%, South America, 98%, and Central American, 205%.

Source: www.freshfruitportal.com