According to a U.S. Department of Agriculture report, 2024 was a great year for fresh strawberry exports. Volumes increased 20% year over year to 351.5 million pounds, a new high for the industry valued at $570.3 million. Strawberries are now the third most valuable fresh fruit exported, behind apples and grapes and ahead of oranges and cherries. 

Canada is the leading destination for fresh U.S. strawberries, followed by Mexico, where the share and volume of domestic supplies exports have increased in recent years.

Processed strawberries exports, mostly made up of frozen fruit, make up about 8% of exports by value. Frozen strawberry export volumes rebounded in 2024 after record lows in 2023, increasing 42 percent year-over-year to 31.1 million pounds. 

Frozen strawberry exports in 2024 were destined mainly to Mexico, Canada, Japan, and South Korea. 

Imports decreased only less than 1%, totaling 585.4 million pounds year over year. This breaks the five-year streak of increasing import volumes but is near 2023’s record high of 588.6 million pounds.

On average, Mexico supplies 98% of the fresh strawberry import volume to the United States when domestic supplies are lower.

Mexico’s strawberry production is expected to increase in 2025, driven by domestic and export demand. Most of Mexico’s strawberry production is concentrated in Baja California and central Mexico, including the States of Michoacán and Guanajuato.

As for processed strawberries, imports were valued at $373.4 million in 2024, a decrease of 1.8% from the prior year. Frozen strawberries comprise most of the imported processed strawberries, with the rest prepared or preserved items such as jams, pastes, and purees.

U.S. Strawberry plantings projected to increase

According to the California Strawberry Commission (CSC) annual acreage, strawberry acreage in California is expected to increase in 2025, continuing an upward trend.

The organization estimates an increase of 13% in acreage planting, which would mark the fifth consecutive year of increasing strawberry acreage.

According to the USDA report, there has been a 60% increase in acreage since 2019/20 in Florida. Almost 90 percent of this acreage is in Hillsborough County and Manatee County in the Tampa Bay area of Central Florida.