In 1995, imports of dried papaya, banana, and coconut dropped, but dried mango imports increased. Figures for pineapple are not available. However, U.S. importers tend to shrug away these statistics. The market slide is just a temporary phenomenon, and the market for dried tropical fruits in the U.S. is not shrinking by any stretch of the imagination, says Steven Ward of Seawind Trading International in Carlsbad, California. Several importers say their sales of these products, including dried pineapple, have been increasing at a healthy pace.
Importers stress that quality product at a competitive price does find buyers.
Thailand and the Philippines are the largest suppliers of dried tropical fruits to the United States, but sales of organic dried fruits from Central America are also on the increase, according to importers, and the growth of organic supermarkets in the United States will help these nearby suppliers broaden their market. Dried fruits are increasingly being sold in U.S. convenience stores, as well. Importers of dried organic coconut have found supply to be almost nonexistent at times. Without preservatives, the product does not last very long, a fact that poses serious challenges to exporters. Banana U.S. imports of dried banana, like imports of dried coconut, fell in 1995.