<p style="text-indent:0px; line-height:12px;"><span style="font-weight:bold;">Washington D.C.-</span><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">By ANUK Staff<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">2.14.13</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p><img src="https://cdn.andnowuknow.com/legacyWriterImages/peppers.jpg" alt="berry Spike - Images" /></p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>Among the fastest-increasing U.S. fresh produce imports by value for 2012, were berries, peppers, and cucumbers.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Imports of peppers and cucumbers spiked sharply, however the value of U.S. tomato imports dropped 13% from $2.14 billion in 2011 to $1.86 billion in 2012, according to the USDA.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Total imports of fresh vegetables remained close to last year’s figure, reaching $5.87 billion.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Mexico supplied the 69% of fresh vegetable imports to the United States, totaling $4.1 billion, and provided 85% of tomato imports.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">U.S. pepper imports rose 15% from $933 million in 2011 to $1.07 billion. Cucumber imports increased 27% from 2011 to $492 million in 2012. 72% of U.S. fresh pepper and cucumber imports were supplied by Mexico.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Berry imports, apart from strawberries, increased 15% from 2011 to $1.76 billion in 2012. In the fresh berry category, imports of cultivated blueberries were up 11%, with raspberries up 36%.</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p><a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary col-lg-12" style="white-space: normal;" href="http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome" target="_new">USDA </a></p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">
