Competitiveness of the Mexican strawberry in the US market from 1992 to 2017

Strawberry exports worldwide have averaged 457,703 t in the last 30 years, with 2012 being the most important year for export, with a total of 852,369 t. For 2013, a value of $2,330,136 and an average of $971,262 was obtained from 1983 to 2013. The Mexican strawberry has increased in production due to programs focused on promoting agriculture and applying production methods. The leading strawberry exporting countries worldwide in 2011 were Spain, the United States, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Mexico. The main destination of the export was the United States that concentrated 96% to complement its demand. The production and export data positions the Mexican strawberry in second place in production, and fifth place in world export. This study aimed to determine the competitiveness of Mexican strawberry in the US market and its behavior compared to exporting countries, such as Spain and the US. The Balassa index and the export opening degree index were used to measure competitiveness, stressing a positive competitiveness. However, higher specialization is required to increase the current competitive levels.