Ahead of the Global Produce & Floral Show, we spoke with Ana and Frank Ramos, Presidents of The Perishable Specialist, an Alba company, about how market conditions, tariffs, and logistics trends are shaping U.S. produce imports and what guidance they offer shippers.
Tariffs are affecting produce imports into the U.S. How has that impacted consignees and their procurement strategies?
Our clients’ procurement continues steadily—we’re not seeing a significant shift from one origin to another. Many produce items are only admissible from specific countries that meet phytosanitary requirements, so switching origins isn’t always an option. The focus remains on compliance and maintaining the integrity of established supply chains.
How is the upcoming peak season looking?
Promising! Our clients are doing great. While no one’s happy about the IEEPA tariffs, it hasn’t slowed down the experienced importers who’ve been navigating this space for decades. Their established routes, trusted partners, and refined processes continue to keep things moving efficiently.
Traditional ports of entry include Philadelphia, Savannah, and Miami. Are you seeing other gateways becoming significant?
The same gateways continue to hold strong—Miami and Philadelphia remain major players, with some volume also coming through Houston and Port Hueneme, California. These ports have well-established produce-handling infrastructure, and we maintain strong working relationships across each of them.
If you could guide shippers on one thing to make the import process move more smoothly, what would it be?
Documentation! Ensure export invoices include accurate commodity descriptions, net and gross weights, declared values for Customs, and the FDA registration number clearly displayed. Additionally, ensure that the shipper’s name, address, phone number, and email are included on every export invoice. Having the correct information in the right format streamlines the clearance process so your produce can be released and available as quickly as possible.
Special thanks to Ana and Frank Ramos of The Perishable Specialist for sharing their expertise ahead of the Global Produce & Floral Show. Catch up with the team at the show, taking place October 16–18 in Anaheim, California. We look forward to connecting in person and continuing the conversation about the evolving world of perishable logistics.
Do you have a question you want to ASK ALBA? Let us know
