Sharp drop in cherry production in Japan drives surge in imports from the US

Fresh cherry production in Japan has been severely affected by climate change, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). For the 2024-2025 season, production is expected to fall to 14,700 tons, due to the impact of high temperatures in the main producing regions.

 

Given this situation, FAS/Tokyo anticipates that the decrease in domestic cherry production will lead to an increase in imports to meet domestic demand. The USDA office in Tokyo predicts that total consumption of fresh cherries in Japan will reach 20,600 tons in 2024-2025.

 

In this context, the United States is emerging as the main supplier of fresh cherries to Japan, with an import share that reached 91% in the 2023/24 season. This reinforces the United States' position as the largest exporter of this fruit to the Japanese market, a role that is expected to intensify in the face of reduced local production.