The developing market for alpacas has been restricted by lack of supply. There are approximately 20,000 alpacas in North America and about 15,000 in Australia. Until recently, there has been little aggressive marketing of the animal, very few auctions, and very little national media attention for the alpaca. Yet both North America and Australia have experienced exceptional demand for alpacas at very high prices. Canada has an active alpaca market, and many Canadians have recently purchased animals in the United States.
Many breeders retain their offspring, building their herds.
Import of the animal from South America is very restricted, as well as difficult, risky and expensive. The importer risks losing his entire investment if the animals develop health problems in the quarantine or experience any number of other potential problems. Mass production of cria, or babies, via embryo transplant is not feasible, since there is no available supply of suitable host females. The limited size of the national herds in each country outside of South America will restrain growth for some time to come. Some South American countries have developed export limitations to protect their national herds.