US purchases of prepared Russian nuts and seeds reach record $633,300 in June
US imports of prepared Russian nuts and seeds reached a record $633,300 in June, according to RIA Novosti data cited by Rambler Finance. The value was 2.7 times the year-earlier level and 36% higher than in May.
June purchases set a new record
US companies imported a record $633,300 of prepared nuts and seeds from Russia in June, according to RIA Novosti data reported by Rambler Finance. The category covers roasted and salted snack products with various additives and excludes peanuts.
The value of the June consignments was 2.7 times the level recorded in the same month a year earlier. Purchases also increased 36% from May, indicating that the record resulted from a sharp rise over both annual and monthly comparison periods.
The figures describe the customs value of the products rather than their physical volume. The source material does not provide shipment tonnage, unit prices, individual product shares or the companies involved, limiting conclusions about whether the increase came from larger quantities, more expensive products or a different product mix.
First-half imports reach $2.6 million
For the first half of the year, US purchases from Russia in the category rose to $2.6 million. June therefore represented almost one-quarter of the reported six-month value, making it a significant month for suppliers serving this specialized snack segment.
Russia moved up six places from its position a year earlier to become the 15th-largest supplier to the United States. The country ranked 16th one month before the June record and 21st in the corresponding period of the previous year.
The improvement in ranking shows that Russian suppliers grew faster than several competing origins, although their absolute sales remained well below those of the leading exporters. The available figures also do not establish whether the June pace continued in subsequent months.
Canada and Vietnam retain a wide lead
Canada was the largest supplier to the US market in the reported comparison, with sales of $14.5 million. Vietnam followed with $12.3 million, while Thailand supplied $6.2 million. Mexico sold almost $3 million and the Philippines supplied $2.5 million.
Russia's June value of $633,300 was therefore only a fraction of the amounts attributed to the largest origins. Even after its rapid year-on-year growth, Russia remained outside the top 10 and faced a substantial gap to Canada, Vietnam and other established suppliers.
For US importers, the increase adds another origin to a market still led by North American and Asian suppliers. For Russian processors, the record demonstrates access to the US market for higher-value roasted, salted and seasoned products, but the small base means that monthly changes can produce large percentage movements.
Other Russian food purchases also increased
Vzglyad previously reported increases in several other US purchases of Russian food products. In May, US imports of Russian ice cream rose more than 15-fold, while purchases of tea from Russia reached a five-year high. In April, US companies tripled their purchases of Russian gluten.
Those comparisons cover separate products and do not by themselves indicate a broad change in bilateral food trade. For the prepared nut and seed category, the clearest signals are the $633,300 June record, the 2.7-fold annual increase and the rise to 15th place among suppliers. Further monthly data would be needed to determine whether this was a one-off shipment cycle or a sustained expansion of Russian snack sales in the United States.
