Eleven out of 15 categories of horticultural exports registered increases. This increase is based on the expectation of continued sales recovery to Mexico and steady growth to key Pacific Rim countries, Latin American countries, and Canada. Export growth to Japan, the third largest horticultural export market after Canada and the EU-15, is expected to remain slow due in part to the relative strength of the dollar. Rising per capita incomes in many countries, ongoing Market Access Program activities, and the increasing popularity of U.S.-style fast food restaurants, particularly in East Asia and Latin America, are expected to continue to spur demand for french fries.
Japan is the largest U.S. market, accounting for more than half of total U.S. shipments.
The smaller U.S. sweet corn pack in 1996, estimated at 2.96 million metric tons, down 2 percent from 1995, is expected to lower carryover stocks for canned and frozen sweet corn. Japan is the top U.S. market for canned sweet corn, with the United States accounting for 90 percent of Japan's imports. Other major U.S. canned corn markets include Taiwan, Hong Kong, Germany, Korea, the United Kingdom, Norway, Sweden and the Netherlands. U.S. exports of frozen sweet corn in 1996 are expected to approximate the 1995 level. Thailand's canned sweet corn production is expanding in response to strong export markets.