Increases in exports are expected from all selected countries. Major U.S. markets include Japan, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Germany. The smaller U.S. sweet corn pack in 1997, estimated at 2.78 million tons, down 7 percent from 1996, is expected to lower production and stocks for canned sweet corn. However, U.S. exports of canned sweet corn in 1997 are forecast at 210,000 tons, up 18 percent from 1996 based on strong shipments to date. U.S. canned sweet corn exports from January-August 1997 were 22 percent ahead of the previous year's volume during the same time period.
Japan continues to be the top U.S. market for canned sweet corn.
Other major U.S. canned sweet corn markets include Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Korea. U.S. exports of frozen sweet corn in 1997 are forecast at 65,000 tons, up 13 percent from 1996, also based on strong exports to date. The first shipment of Florida tomatoes arrived in Japan in early November, an 18-ton container. This shipment followed the first successful shipments from California earlier in the year, following Japan's decision to allow in a limited number of U.S. tomato varieties after many years of negotiations. Following a meeting with officials of USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and Foreign Agricultural Service in Tokyo on Monday, November 10, MAFF agreed to exempt Florida tomatoes which are packed in the early stages of ripeness from the rigorous Caribfly inspection requirement.