Mexico surpasses Spain as leader in strawberry export value.

According to World Trade Organization data, Mexico has surpassed Spain as the world leader in total strawberry export value.

In 2022, total international sales for Mexican strawberries rose to $833 million, while Spain’s fell to $733 million.   

A massive drought in 2022 severely reduced Spain’s strawberry production volume, resulting in a 14% year-over-year decrease in sales.

At the same time, Mexico continued a years-long trend of increasing strawberry exports, and in 2022, sales grew by 11% from the previous year. 

In 2021, Spanish strawberry exports reached an all-time high of $845 million, while Mexico achieved a value of  $747 million, meaning there was a value swing of nearly $100 million between the two countries in just one year.  

Just a decade ago, in 2013, the value of Mexican exports ($209 million) was only a third of Spain’s ($620 million). This shows that while Spain’s strawberry production has remained relatively stable, the Mexican industry has increased its volume considerably.

Selling to different markets

Even though Spain and Mexico are two of the largest strawberry-producing and exporting countries, they do not compete for the same markets.

The United States is the primary buyer of Mexican strawberries, importing 95-99% of its total export volume.

Spain mainly exports to countries within the European Union, with Germany as its largest buyer and France, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands also serving as valuable markets. 

The seasonality of production in the two countries is also different. Mexican production volume peaks from November to March, while in Spain, the high season occurs from April to June.

Sources: Opportimes, FAOSTAT