Production of U.S. tangerines, mandarins, clementines and tangelos (which collectively make up the tangerine group) for the fresh market reached 971,000 tons in 2022–23, up 32% from the prior season. California grows 95% of the U.S. tangerine crop, with its production concentrated in the San Joaquin Valley.
Shipment data indicates that 823 million pounds of tangerines were shipped during peak harvest, an increase of 8% from the same period last year. This increase in tangerine shipments is notable given the harvest delays caused by intense flooding in California’s Central Valley in the 2022–23 season.
Tangerines are a popular variety of citrus that can be purchased year-round at many grocery outlets. Domestic production accounts for around 60% of the tangerines consumed in the United States.
IMPORTS DECLINE
Imports of tangerines are especially important from July to October when domestic production drops off. Nonetheless, tangerines are imported year-round with smaller quantities imported even during the peak of the U.S. tangerine season (January to March).
In part due to increases in domestic production, fresh tangerine imports in 2022–23 were down by 25% from the prior year’s record high. U.S. tangerine imports were expected to reach 800 million pounds by the end of the season.
Chile, the top supplier of foreign-grown tangerines for the U.S market, accounted for 32% of imports. Morocco is the United States’ second largest foreign supplier, accounting for 29% of imports. Peru is third with 18%.
EXPORTS SOAR
Exports of fresh tangerines in 2022–23 were up 72% over the prior season and were expected to reach 113 million pounds by the season’s end. The three largest export markets for U.S.-grown tangerines (Canada, Mexico and Japan) accounted for 82% of U.S. exports. These relatively high export levels may be in response to reduced production in the European Union and Morocco.
See more in-depth information about the 2022–23 citrus crop from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Economic Research Service’s Fruit and Tree Nuts Outlook.
Source: USDA Economic Research Service