Costa Rica Dominates Pineapple Market

Costa Rica dominates the fresh pineapple market. Two out of three pineapples traded globally come from Costa Rica. Half of all Costa Rican pineapples are sent to the US; the other half is shipped to the EU. Costa Rica has a share of 85 percent in the US. Of all pineapple imported by the EU, 85 percent comes from Costa Rica as well. The Costa Rican product hardly plays a part in the Asian market. The Philippines is dominant on this market, but the internationally traded amounts are smaller in proportion. African countries play a very modest part in the international trade of pineapple.

Pineapple is also traded frozen. Last year, Costa Rica exported 40,000 tonnes. Half of this export remained focused on the US. Belgium, Canada and the Netherlands were the next buyers with amounts of 4,600, 2,900 and 2,400 tonnes, respectively.   Other suppliers of frozen pineapple are the Philippines, Guatemala, Mexico, Colombia and Chile. All combined, the international trade in pineapple products has a value of more than 4 billion dollars, 1.1 billion of which is realized by Costa Rica. Thailand and the Philippines are the other major producers, with an export value of 0.7 and 0.6 billion dollars respectively.