Guide to the Consumer Food Market
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- Table 1 Imports of Consumer Food Products from Selected Suppliers, 1996 (US$000s)
- Table 2 Consumer Food Product Imports from Major Developed Suppliers for the Four Markets, 1996, US$000
- Table 3 Anguilla Consumer Food Product Imports from Major Developed Suppliers, 1996, US$000
- Table 4 Selected Food Imports into Anguilla, 1992-1996, US$000s
- British Virgin Islands.
- Table 5 BVI Consumer Food Product Imports from Major Developed Suppliers, 1996, US$000
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Consumer Food Imports Despite the dependency status of the four island groups included in this report, they all rely heavily on US suppliers for most of their consumer food import requirements. Combined consumer food imports are estimated in the range of $110 to $140 million per year: the Cayman Islands ($70 to $80 million), the BVI ($20 to $30 million), Anguilla ($10 to $15 million), and the Turks and Caicos Islands ($10 to $15 million).(1) Table 1 shows imports of consumer food products from three extra-regional and two regional suppliers.(2)
With the exception of Anguilla, supplies from the US dominate the markets. Overall, the US accounts for 68 percent of total imports from these suppliers. The EU, mostly the UK, accounts for nearly 29 percent of these imports, with the other countries accounting for only a combined 2 percent. The last column in Table 1 shows estimates for total import market size of consumer food and beverage items, including understatement of exports by the US and EU, as well as estimated supplies from other countries. Other suppliers are thought to account for no more 1. Import statistics for these markets and export statistics for their suppliers are considered unreliable. While current data for the BVI and Anguilla are available, data from the Cayman Islands is over two years old and no statistics are unavailable from the Turks & Caicos. US export statistics are considered to be underestimated to all markets. Additionally, imports into the BVI and Anguilla are often transhipped through neighboring islands and will therefore not appear in US or EU export statistics. Because of the trade data inconsistencies, the total import market size of consumer food and beverage items has been estimated using both export data and import data (when available). In the cases where both market import and supplier export data is available, both are presented. Other countries are estimated to supply no more than 20 to 40 percent of total consumer food import requirements in each market (often less). The US dominates the market for most items and also supplies transhipped goods through Miami from other countries; these transhipments are not reported in US export statistics. 2. Consumer foods are defined for the purposes of this market study as the following two-digit Harmonized System categories: 02 (Meat, Fresh, Frozen and Dried), 03 (Fish And Seafood, Fresh, Frozen and Dried), 04 (Dairy and Eggs), 07 (Vegetables, Fresh, Frozen and Dried), 08 (Fruit And Nuts), 09 (Coffee, Tea, Mate And Spices), 16 (Preparations Of Meat and Fish), 17 (Sugars And Sugar Confectionary), 18 (Cocoa And Cocoa Preparations), 19 (Preparations Of Cereals), 20 (Preparations Of Vegetables and Fruits), 21 (Miscellaneous Edible Preparations), 22 (Beverages, Spirits And Vinegar).  than 20 to 40 percent of total food and beverage imports (often less). These other suppliers would include New Zealand, which supplies much of the Caribbean with large quantities of milk, cheese, and meat products. Other regional suppliers also supply these markets, mostly with beverages, fresh and processed horticultural items, and transhipments from the US and other countries. Jamaica supplies the Cayman Islands, while members of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States, the US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and St. Maarten export to the BVI and Anguilla. Turks & Caicos imports small volumes from Puerto Rico and the Bahamas.
Table 2 and Figure 1 show the general categories of food imports from the US, Canada, and the EU. Beverages and spirits account for the largest share of imports from these suppliers, followed by miscellaneous edible preparations, meat, processed fruits and vegetables, and dairy products. Best prospects for US suppliers include: wine, beer, and other alcoholic beverages; soft drinks, juices, and bottled water; fresh vegetables and fruits; fresh and frozen meat (including chicken, beef, pork); frozen fish; dairy products (mostly to the Cayman Islands); and various other processed food products (cereals, snack foods, canned and frozen fruits and vegetables, condiments, etc.). Because of its relative market size, exporters may be more willing to concentrate on the Cayman Islands' market directly, while using Miami and Puerto Rican wholesalers for the other much smaller markets. Additional details on food imports and best market prospects for each market are given below. Also see Table 10 at the end of this section for a summary by product and market of best prospects for US exporters.
Anguilla. With a consumer food import market estimated at under $15 million, Anguilla along with the Turks and Caicos Islands are the smallest markets covered in this report. Importers report that some product is not imported directly, but is transhipped through other Caribbean markets such as St. Maarten. Eggs are produced locally but are also imported, while milk and ice cream are imported from St. Thomas and Barbados. Butter and cheese are imported from both St. Croix and through Miami-based wholesalers. Most fish that is consumed is sourced locally or regionally. Fresh produce is imported from Florida, through companies such as B&B (Tampa), Diversified Foods (Pompano Beach) and Associated Grocers (Miami). The best and really only prospect for a US manufacturer to supply directly to this market is frozen chicken. All other consumer food item volume is so small that US suppliers should work with Miami-based consolidators or importers in neighboring islands such as St. Martin or the USVI to supply this market. A breakdown of general food import categories is provided in Table 3 (based on key suppliers' export statistics) and Table 4 (based on Anguillan import statistics).
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British Virgin Islands. Annual consumer food and beverage imports are estimated at around $20 to $30 million, nearly half of which is supplied directly by the US. Other US food products are imported through neighboring islands and more informally by BVI residents shopping at supermarkets in the USVI. Major US exports and continued best prospects include fresh vegetables, frozen chicken, soft drinks, beer, juices, wine, rum, as well as a variety of other processed food items (cereals, snack foods, canned soups, canned/frozen fruits and vegetables, etc.). Because of the relatively small volume of orders for individual items, US suppliers of all but the largest volume items should probably utilize Miami-based wholesalers who are already supplying many BVI importers. A breakdown of general food import categories is provided in Table 5 (based on key suppliers' export statistics) and Table 6 (based on BVI import statistics).
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