Blue skies ahead: US blueberries aim for new markets and tariff relief in push for expansion

Reported by Ed Vernon from Anaheim, California.

With domestic production growing and supply from international production increasing, the US Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) is doubling down to open new doors—and push through others where access has been long-stalled. 

From the recently approved access to South Africa to tariff frustrations in Asia, USHBC President Kasey Cronquist says the industry is in a critical phase. 

Speaking to FreshFruitPortal.com at the 2025 IFPA Global Produce & Floral Show, Cronquist explains that, currently, about 25 percent of US blueberries are exported, primarily to Canada, but that Southeast Asia and other high-value markets are central to future expansions. 

“The opportunity our growers have to expand their export activities only strengthens their overall ability to remain competitive, both domestically and internationally,” he says. 

South Africa opens up, but US blueberries are late to the party 

After more than a decade of negotiations, US blueberry exporters officially gained access to South Africa this year. While Cronquist welcomes the development, he notes the market may not offer the same opportunities it would have years earlier. 

“This particular opportunity is about ten years later than we had requested and hoped for,” he says. “Now, we're having to reassess whether there's going to be interest and a competitive opportunity there that we'll be able to take advantage of.” 

Cronquist says that the most promising export windows will likely be during South Africa’s counter-seasonal gaps for premium products. 

“That's going to be largely what helps drive any opportunity that our industry has in finding those weeks and those products that either they don't grow like we can grow or they're just not available,” he adds. 

From red tape to blueberries: Tackling Asia-Pacific barriers

While the sector enjoys limited market access to Japan, South Korea, and Vietnam, specific trade barriers, like tariffs and restrictions on fresh blueberries, have dampened growth. 

In Japan, frozen blueberry exports are subject to tariffs of six to nine percent depending on sugar content—the result of a trade agreement oversight, says Alyssa Houtby, director of Government Affairs at the North American Blueberry Council.

“It was an omission that we have worked since that time to resolve,” she explains. “We attempted to do a technical correction, unfortunately, to no avail.” 

Canada, by contrast, faces no such tariff, giving it a significant price advantage.

“We're losing market share because they're going to move to buy the less expensive product from Canada,” Houtby explains.

In South Korea, access to fresh blueberries remains limited to Oregon-grown fruit. However, USHBC is optimistic about expanding entry to California and Washington growers. 

“From a technical standpoint, it should be fairly simple to expand as pest profiles are similar. We're asking for the same work plan,” the executive says, citing ongoing discussions between the USDA’s APHIS and South Korean authorities. 

Vietnam, already open to US fresh blueberries, presents high growth potential, but tariffs remain an obstacle across all product forms. 

“It's a great market that we can certainly expand, but we're limited because we have a high tariff rate,” she adds. 

The USHBC has made Vietnam, Japan, and South Korea top priorities in its discussions with US trade officials. Cronquist emphasizes the importance of ensuring that blueberry issues are addressed in broader trade negotiations already underway with said nations. 

Australia and New Zealand are also long-term targets, particularly for air-freighted fresh blueberries. Negotiations with both countries have been ongoing for more than a decade, and Houtby notes that the US has submitted pest risk assessments and proposed protocols modeled after those successfully used in other markets. 

Export growth supports domestic competitiveness 

Cronquist stresses that exports remain critical for managing growing supply and supporting farmgate prices in the US. 

“I would liken this to an investment portfolio. And you would like to be diversified to mitigate the risk of being too dependent on any one investment. So the opportunity our growers have to expand their export activities only strengthens their overall ability to remain competitive, both domestically and internationally,” he explains. 

While Canada remains the largest US export destination for blueberries, shipments to Southeast Asia are gaining ground. Cronquist says 2024 marked the industry’s highest export volume to that region. Mexico is another emerging focus area. 

The USHBC continues to work closely with USDA on funding and market access programs. 

“We really do represent the only large marketing and advertising program in the world for blueberries. So our market access dollars really do drive the blueberry message,” he adds. 

The organization’s long-term vision remains clear: “Making blueberries the world's favorite fruit,” he says. “Some would say we should make it the world's favorite snack.”

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