U.S. imports of Lemons and Limes, Fresh or Dried (SITC 05721) totaled $115.6M in August 2026, imported from 23 countries.
Importers of Lemons and Limes, Fresh or Dried paid $4.6M in duties in August 2026, an average duty rate of 4.00% — duty actually collected as a share of the imports that cleared customs, not the published tariff schedule. Lemons and Limes, Fresh or Dried imports of $115.6M in August 2026 ran 15% above the year-to-date monthly average of $100.1M.
Last updated: August 2026 dataLemons and limes are grouped in a single SITC heading despite their distinct commercial markets — fresh lemons dominate foodservice and retail, while lime imports are critical to the beverage, food manufacturing, and culinary sectors, particularly for Mexican and Southeast Asian cuisine applications. Mexico is the dominant US supplier of fresh limes, a position reflecting both geographic proximity and the scale of Mexican lime-growing regions. USDA APHIS phytosanitary requirements apply to fresh fruit, and importers should confirm that shipments meet current treatment or inspection protocols for the specific origin.
AI-written summary of the official U.S. Census Bureau trade figures on this page — verify before relying on it.
6.8K import shipments a month
The SITC system groups lemons and limes under a single heading because they share botanical and commercial characteristics as acidic citrus fruits. In practice, this can obscure supply-chain analysis since the two fruits have different dominant suppliers, seasonality patterns, and end-use markets. Importers and analysts relying on SITC data should cross-reference HTS-level data, where lemons and limes are separated into distinct tariff lines.
Fresh limes from Mexico must be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate and may be subject to USDA APHIS port-of-entry inspection. Specific pest-risk conditions — including requirements related to citrus pests — may apply depending on the growing region. Under USMCA, trade flows smoothly when documentation is in order, but APHIS can still detain or reject shipments that fail inspection. Consult a licensed customs broker to confirm current admissibility conditions.
Basic heading 36 of 337 in section 0
Basic heading 05721 · $115.6M of $14.7B
Trade Directory
List your company and tag the 6-digit products you trade, so the companies trading them can find you. Be the first supplier listed.
Imports · August 2026
origin
Mexico and Argentina together supply 79% of it. Argentina pays 12.6% duty; Mexico 0.0%.
customs district
Census does not publish district detail for this classification system.
destination
Census does not publish state detail for this classification system.
entry
Census does not publish port detail for this classification system.
ImportsExports
Imports
$115.6MYoY · free account
Exports
$7.6MYoY · free account
12-mo low · imports
Low · free accountOver the twelve months to August 2026, the U.S. imported $1.1B of Lemons and Limes, Fresh or Dried and exported $215.3M.
Through August 2026. Source: U.S. Census Bureau.