Don't shoot the messenger on this diesel export thing but let's look a little further down the road shall we?
Anyone enjoy have fresh strawberries in January?
Mexico is the source of 99% of U.S. winter strawberry imports -- meaning the fruit is harvested between November 1 and March 31. It supplements Florida's production.
It isn’t just strawberries. In January the tomato, cucumber, pepper, berry, and grape aisle is an import aisle.
Mexico sends us about three-quarters of our fresh vegetable imports, and 90% of imported tomatoes.
Mexico takes about one-sixth of U.S. diesel exports — roughly 220,000 barrels a day. Latin America as a whole takes on the order of half our diesel exports.
Winter grapes are 99% from Peru, Chile, and Mexico.
Chile — our No. 2 diesel export customer — is also what puts cherries and blueberries in the store in January.
Fresh winter produce is harvested and hauled using diesel powered equipment.
We are about to export ban a fuel shock into the countries that stock a good portion of our winter produce sections.
A ban on US diesel exports will translate into much higher grocery prices in a few weeks and significant shortages in the fresh produce sections.
And with that - The More You Know.....
Sources: EIA distillate exports;
Atlantic Council (Mexico farm diesel + <6 days cover);
El País (U.S. share of Mexican diesel);
USITC winter-strawberry case.
USDA ERS, “Imports make up growing share of U.S. fresh fruit and vegetable supply”