The US is heavily reliant on imported perishables, and demand is expected to continue growing.
Imported share of US demand for select perishable goods1
 |
+ |
 |
+ |
 |
| Fresh Cut Flowers | Seafood | Fresh Fruit | ||
| ~70% (of total US demand) |
~90% (of total US demand) |
~50% (of total US demand) |
||
| Growing demand in the US for inexpensive/lower cost flowers primarily grown in Latin America (i.e., Columbia, Ecuador) | Strong demand in the US for seafood (e.g., salmon, cod) that is more readily available outside of the US (e.g., Chile) | Imported fresh fruit during off-season helps support growing year-round demand in the US |
South Florida is the main port of entry for perishables sent via air freight from Latin America.
Volume of US Air perishable imports from Latin AmericaBy destination, 2017, millions of lbs2 |
|
South Florida |
 |
Rest of US |
 |
Share of US Air perishable imports from Latin AmericaBy destination, 2017, %2 |
 |
|
|
South Florida
Rest of USSouth Florida’s prominence is due to its geographic proximity to the points of origin in Latin America for air cargo.
Flight time from top Latin American origins to main US cargo airports, hours3
Bogota, Columbia |
|
| Los Angeles International Airport |
 |
| Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport |  |
| Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport |  |
| Airglades International Airport |  |
Santiago, Chile |
|
| Los Angeles International Airport |
 |
| Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport |  |
| Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport |  |
| Airglades International Airport |  |
Lima, Peru |
|
| Los Angeles International Airport |
 |
| Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport |  |
| Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport |  |
| Airglades International Airport |  |
Santiago, Chile |
|
| Los Angeles International Airport |
 |
| Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport |  |
| Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport |  |
| Airglades International Airport |  |
1Flower and seafood data: 2016 data in terms of $ value, SOURCE: USAID 2016 report on “The USA Flower Market”; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on US Aquaculture; Fruit data: 2010 volume data, SOURCE: 2016 Congressional Research Service (CRS) report on “The U.S. Trade Situation for Fruit and Vegetable Products”, p. 13
2Volumes include flowers/trees, seafood, fruits, vegetables, cereals, and edible preparations of meats/seafood, SOURCE: USA Trade Online, 2017 data, Inbound volumes from Latin America statistics, pulled January 2019
3Source: US Department of Transportation T-100 database, 2017 data, Average flight times, pulled December 2018
Source: ARINC Flight Manager, division of Rockwell Collins