The food industry, specifically the agricultural sector, is the driving force behind a country’s economic, nutritional, and even spiritual development.
Latin America has extraordinary potential for production. Within this context, it is natural to look with interest expansion into the U.S. market.

Drawing on Auxadi’s experience in over 50 countries, this analysis aims to explore the realities, opportunities, and challenges of the Latin American agribusiness sector on its path toward the world’s largest food market.

The U.S. market

More than half of the fresh fruit and over a third of the fresh vegetables consumed in the U.S. are imported at some point during the year. This creates opportunities for Latin American suppliers, but the U.S. market prioritizes availability and logistics over direct product transactions. Companies usually enter through importers or distributors, which facilitates initial market entry but limits control over the end customer and reduces margins by approximately 12% to 28%.

 

❝ The United States is the world’s largest food market, and, roughly 15% corresponds to imported products, a share that increases significantly in certain categories❞

 

The intermediary model works in the early stages but causes commercial planning to depend on third parties. Promotions, inventory turnover, and product adjustments are outside the supplier’s control, creating a critical point: demand continues to grow, but the ability to manage it and maintain a direct relationship with the end customer is limited.

What model works?

It depends on what you aim to achieve and the price you are willing to pay.

Establishing a subsidiary or directly assuming U.S. regulatory responsibilities—traceability, preventive controls, risk management, and product recall capability—provides greater strategic control and stability. This does not significantly reduce unit logistics costs, but it facilitates inventory adjustments, packaging adaptations, direct negotiations with retailers, and production planning based on continuous replenishment rather than variable orders.

Challenges when entering the US market

The biggest challenge after opening a local entity is not the market itself, but administrative consistency. The operation requires ongoing coordination of state taxes, payroll, reporting, and corporate accounting. Companies that integrate compliance as a continuous process can transform an opportunistic business into a recurring, proactive one, gaining greater control over growth, commercial stability, and margin preservation.

Each Latin American country offers unique opportunitues

Agricultural exports from the 10 leading countries in the region reached USD 35.371 billion in 2024, maintaining a similar trend in 2025. This confirms that U.S. food supply is structurally dependent on Latin American production.

  • Mexico Maintains a wide leadership by concentrating nearly 57% of the regional total. Its stability is explained by a well-defined export basket: avocado, tomatoes, peppers and, above all, blueberries and raspberries in categories where continuity of supply is determining. .
  • Perú, Colombia and Ecuador Show the greatest relative dynamism, with Peru being a country in constant growth consolidated as a world leader in blueberries, while reinforcing its presence in grapes, asparagus, and out-of-season mangoes.
  • Colombia Also maintains sustained growth driven by the combination of bananas, flowers, tropical fruits, and specialty coffees,
  • Ecuador Stands out for a banana expansion, as well as fine cocoa and logistical improvements that reduce sanitary frictions.
  • Brazil and Chile Advance from a different focus, centered on diversification.
  • Brazil Expands its participation with growth incorporating green coffee, concentrated juices, oilseeds, tropical fruits, and organic products aimed at premium consumption. Chile, for its part, maintains solid growth supported by fresh fruit.
  • Central America and the Caribbean Performance is more heterogeneous: Costa Rica shows stability with moderate variations.
  • Dominican Republic Records one of the highest growths in the region thanks to organic cocoa and mangoes.
  • Argentina Presents a slight contraction influenced by internal restrictions despite the international recognition of its agricultural production.

CONCLUSION

For the Latin American agribusiness sector, access to the U.S. market does not depend on demand or production competitiveness, but on the ability to operate within a commercial system that prioritizes direct responsibility and continuous availability. However, as demonstrated by those who have already navigated this path, it is an interesting challenge with significant benefits for those who know how to comply with, understand, and contribute to the market.

FAQS

Because certain fruits and vegetables are not produced in sufficient quantities year-round in the U.S., or local production costs are higher. This creates a structural reliance on Latin American countries such as Mexico, Peru, Colombia, and Ecuador.

Typically through importers, regional distributors, or consolidators. This model reduces regulatory and logistical friction, although it requires giving up some margin and control over the relationship with the end customer.

It allows greater commercial control: adjusting inventories, adapting packaging, responding quickly to regulations, negotiating directly with retailers, and reducing intermediaries. This results in greater predictability and stronger strategic control over growth.

Companies must ensure continuous compliance with traceability requirements, preventive control programs, supplier verification, risk management, product recall capability, state taxes, payroll, and accounting reconciliations, all coordinated with local production operations.

  • Mexico: avocados, tomatoes, peppers, blueberries, and raspberries.
  • Peru: blueberries, grapes, asparagus, and mangoes.
  • Colombia: bananas, flowers, tropical fruits, and specialty coffee.
  • Ecuador: bananas and fine cacao.
  • Brazil and Chile: diversified exports including fruit, coffee, and premium organic products.