Drivers of Demand for Imported Horticultural Commodities: A Cross-Country Comparison

International trade of horticultural commodities is increasingly important in many regions of the world, yet relatively little research has studied import patterns of key horticultural crops. Using data between 1991 and 2005, we find that import demand for horticultural commodities in developed countries has been driven primarily by prices and the level of trade openness while income and diet considerations were more important in emerging countries. Furthermore, our results show that the determinants of import demand differed across the selected crops, and therefore information can be lost if data for horticultural commodities are aggregated.