Canadian Cranberries Vie for Global Trade

Canada’s burgeoning cranberry market struggles to recover from a lackluster harvest in 2017. A lack of rain and unusually high temperatures delayed ripening for several weeks, forcing farmers to fight off frost toward the end of the season and leading to large crop losses. In 2017, the United States (US) imported 79,000 tonnes of fresh Canadian cranberries, a drop from 100,000 tonnes in 2016. 

While the US remains Canada’s main export market, Canada has increased exports to the European Union (EU) after entering into a new trade agreement. Signed on 21 September 2017, the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) eliminated the 9.6% Most Favored Nation (MFN) tariff on Canadian fresh cranberry imports. As a result, Canadian exports to the EU increased 310% between 2016 and 2017 despite the poor harvest. Assuming favorable weather conditions in 2018, the autumn cranberry production season will better demonstrate the full impact CETA will have on the industry. Using Gro Intelligence data and analytics, subscribers can stay ahead of developments in global cranberry production and trade.