The latest figures on U.S. potato exports paint a complex picture of the industry’s international trade performance. While certain sectors have witnessed commendable growth, others have faced significant downturns, resulting in a slight dip in the overall export volume and value. Between July 2024 and March 2025, the U.S. potato industry navigated a dynamic global market, with key takeaways revealing both resilience and areas for concern.
A primary driver of the overall 4% decrease in total export volume, which settled at 2.3 million metric tons, was the substantial 16% drop in dehydrated potato exports. This decline also contributed to a 1% dip in the total export value, which stood at $1.7 billion for the period. The potato chip sector also experienced a notable 17% decrease in export volume. These figures highlight the challenges faced by processed potato products in the international market.
However, the news isn’t all doom and gloom. The frozen potato category, which constitutes the largest share of U.S. potato exports at 49% of the total volume, demonstrated a healthy 3% increase. This growth was bolstered by strong demand from several key markets. Japan, a major importer, increased its intake of U.S. frozen potatoes by 9%. Other notable increases were seen in South Korea (11%), Canada (10%), Taiwan (13%), Guatemala (15%), and Saudi Arabia (4%). This sustained demand for frozen potato products underscores their continued popularity and the strong position of U.S. suppliers in these regions.
Fresh potato exports, which include both table stock and chipping potatoes, also saw an overall increase in volume. A remarkable 76% surge in chipping stock exports to Japan, a market that does not permit U.S. table stock imports, was a significant contributor to this positive trend. Furthermore, fresh potato shipments to Guatemala and the Dominican Republic skyrocketed by 98% and 71%, respectively. Despite these impressive gains, the fresh potato sector faced headwinds in other markets. Exports to Canada, South Korea, the Philippines, and Malaysia saw declines of 19%, 20%, 13%, and 37%, respectively. Mexico, while remaining the largest market for U.S. fresh potatoes (accounting for 43% of all fresh exports), showed flat growth during this period.
The seed potato sector, though a smaller component of the overall export picture (1% of total volume), experienced a robust 16% increase in export volume, indicating strong demand for U.S. potato genetics from international growers.
The decline in dehydrated potato exports was widespread, affecting eight of the top ten markets, including Canada, Mexico, Japan, the United Kingdom, Australia, South Korea, China, and Israel. In contrast, Indonesia and Malaysia bucked this trend, with increases of 127% and 26%, respectively.
The U.S. potato export landscape from July 2024 to March 2025 has been a story of contrasting fortunes. While the frozen and fresh sectors have shown resilience and growth in key markets, the significant drop in dehydrated and potato chip exports has pulled down the overall numbers. The industry will need to continue to adapt to the shifting demands of the global market, capitalizing on areas of strength while addressing the challenges in underperforming sectors.
