United States: fresh produce imports from Peru, Ecuador and Kenya (2024 data)

Why importers source through SeedMatch instead of alone

Finding an exporter is rarely the hard part; specifying, screening and comparing offers for a perishable product with a short window is. A sourcing specialist does that work with you.

• Free for buyers

  No fee to submit or review a request. Qualified programmes start at USD 250,000 total annual or seasonal value.

• One structured RFQ

  Variety, grade and size, pack, volumes, arrival window, documents, Incoterm and cold chain in one brief.

• Several suppliers, screened and compared

  Responses are organised against your specification; supplier claims stay marked as declared until documents are reviewed.

• Confidential, mediated contact

  Your company details stay confidential. Supplier communication is mediated by Global B2B Group, SeedMatch's parent group; suppliers do not contact you directly.

• Evidence on origin and market

  Trade flows and authority links on this page are dated and cited, and hypotheses are labelled.

What makes fresh produce hard to source alone

• Fruits and vegetables lose 25.4% after harvest and before retail, against 13.3% for all food. FAO, SDG indicator 12.3.1 (2023 estimate)
• Fruits and vegetables were the most-notified category in the EU Alert and Cooperation Network in 2024 (1,479 notifications, 16%); pesticide residues were the most reported issue. European Commission, ACN 2024 Annual Report

A complete specification and like-for-like comparison can help you negotiate on one basis and save your team time. These are potential benefits, not guaranteed savings, prices or margins.

Import-readiness checklist: United States

The steps an importer typically works through for commercial fresh fruit and vegetables under United States rules, each linked to the official page it rests on. Steps marked "Verify" were not confirmed from an official source in our review: treat them as questions for the authority, not as requirements.

1. 1. Plant-health admissibility in ACIR

   APHIS sets import requirements by commodity and country of origin; ACIR shows whether the pair is authorised and any treatment, permit or production condition.

   Check before shipment

   • Exact botanical name, variety, country and region of production entered in the lookup
   • Required treatment, permit and approved facilities identified for that pair
   • Agricultural Commodity Import Requirements (ACIR) — USDA APHIS, undated page, checked 28 Oct 2026
   • How to import plants and plant products into the United States — USDA APHIS, 2026-07-29

2. 2. Phytosanitary documents and entry inspection

   Certificates, declarations and treatments follow the commodity-specific ACIR conditions; entry is cleared by CBP with APHIS plant inspection.

   Check before shipment

   • Certificate and additional declarations match the ACIR conditions
   • Treatment record and port of entry arranged before shipment
   • How to import plants and plant products into the United States — USDA APHIS, 2026-07-29

3. 3. FDA Prior Notice and FSVP

   FDA requires Prior Notice for food imported or offered for import. Importers covered by the Foreign Supplier Verification Program must verify their foreign suppliers on a risk basis.

   Check before shipment

   • Prior Notice filed for each shipment
   • FSVP importer named and supplier-verification records kept
   • Prior Notice of Imported Foods — U.S. Food and Drug Administration, undated page, checked 28 Oct 2026
   • FSVP final rule: key requirements — U.S. Food and Drug Administration, undated page, checked 28 Oct 2026

4. 4. EPA pesticide tolerances

   Tolerances are set per pesticide and commodity in 40 CFR Part 180; check the current eCFR text rather than an index.

   Check before shipment

   • Exporter's spray record for the lot compared with the destination's limit for each active substance
   • Pre-shipment residue analysis by an accredited laboratory, where the buyer or authority requires it
   • How to search for tolerances for pesticide ingredients in the Code of Federal Regulations — U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2015-08-03

5. 5. Section 8e marketing-order import rules

   For covered commodities, including avocados and table grapes, imports must meet grade, size, quality or maturity standards comparable to the domestic marketing order, with commodity-specific dates and exemptions.

   Check before shipment

   • Whether the product and season are covered
   • Inspection and certification arranged where required
   • Section 8e & imports — USDA Agricultural Marketing Service, undated page, checked 28 Oct 2026
   • Importing avocados (Section 8e) — USDA Agricultural Marketing Service, undated page, checked 28 Oct 2026
   • Importing table grapes (Section 8e) — USDA Agricultural Marketing Service, undated page, checked 28 Oct 2026

6. 6. FSMA 204 food traceability

   Foods on FDA's Food Traceability List need additional lot records. FDA's page states it intends not to enforce the rule before 20 July 2028; check for later notices.

   Check before shipment

   • Whether the product is on the Food Traceability List
   • Traceability lot codes agreed with the exporter if covered
   • FSMA final rule on requirements for additional traceability records for certain foods — U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2026-10-08

Reviewed 28 Oct 2026. Requirements depend on the exact product, origin and use, and change. Not legal advice and no promise of clearance; the importer of record confirms the current rules with the authority before contracting.

Import authorities to check before contracting

• USDA APHIS — Agricultural Commodity Import Requirements (ACIR)

  Admissibility, permits and treatments by commodity and origin (replaced FAVIR on 1 Oct 2022).

• FDA — Prior Notice of Imported Foods

  Prior notice is required for food imported or offered for import into the United States.

Each importer, exporter and supplier remains responsible for the rules that apply to its own role. Requirements vary by product, origin and use, and change; confirm the current requirement with the authority.