Performance Changes in the Japanese Market in 2022 After the Approval to Import American Plums

In August 2021, the import of American plums was admitted to Japan. Domestically produced plums are distributed abundantly in Japan, and attention was focused on how much of the market share American plums could take. Japanese plum farmers were worried that local plums would not sell. In 2021, a total of 167 MT of plums were imported, and by the end of August 2022, the import volume reached 123 MT. Forecasts indicated that the import volume would increase in 2022, but the results did not meet expectations, and prices increased due to the strong impact of the dollar. Specifically, the average plum price in Japan in 2021 was USD 4.83/kg and USD 6.51/KG in 2022.