All of that holiday shopping and celebration can sure work up an appetite! So it’s no surprise, during the December 2019 holiday season, everyone indulged in a bit more food and drink than in November.  No question, food plays a key role in holiday celebrations — and especially those at the end of the year.

So what were the most imported and exported foods for the December 2019 holiday season? We checked out USA Trade Online, the free and official source for trade data, to find food products that were imported and exported with the highest values in December 2019, their corresponding values of imports and exports in November 2019, and the difference between these values. You can also find this data in chapters 1-24 of the Schedule B and Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS).
 

Do you notice any changes? There was an increase in imports of food preparations (under 2106.90) — not a major surprise since sprays and dessert toppings can be included here. We also saw an increase in coffee imports. Pumpkin spice latte, anyone?

Now, let’s see the top food exports during the December 2019 holiday season.
 

As you know, it is almost impossible to avoid baked goods during the holidays. They are everywhere! In many cases, these treats include some kind of nut, among the likely reasons for the seasonal spike in almond exports. In fact, the United States is the world’s leading almond wholesaler. So countries like Hong Kong and Spain wasted no time in securing their share as our almond harvest closed in October. They led the way when it came to importing U.S. almonds during the 2019 holidays.

For more information about U.S. imports or exports, visit USA Trade Online for detailed statistics or contact the Macro Analysis Branch at 1-800-549-0595, Option 4.